Harry Potter and the Faces of Confusion
by CPO Backstreet
Summary: Sequel to Harry Potter and the Resurrection Movement. It is six months since Harry and Hermione became a couple and the relationship is still not entirely accepted by their children. And in addition to dealing with domestic issues, there's the small matter of a group of newly-imprisoned Death Eaters.
1. Chapter 1: New Roles

**This follows on from my earlier story The Resurrection Movement, so reading that first is recommended. For anyone who did, remember that bit at the end where I said what happened to all the characters? Well, basically, forget all that: It's still going to happen but it hasn't happened yet. This story picks up a few months on from the first story, at the beginning of the next school year, with Harry and Hermione's relationship still relatively new.**

* * *

CHAPTER ONE: New Roles

"Hermione, are you up?"

Hermione Weasley groaned at the voice and pulled the covers up over her head. The voice was that of Harry Potter, her friend of twenty-eight years and partner of six months. And he knew her well enough to know that she was most definitely not up. And to know the reason why not.

Obviously having decided to ignore her desire for privacy, Harry came into the bedroom they shared at Grimmauld Place, a mug of hot drink in his hand. "You're going to have to get up soon if you want to come with us,"he warned her.

Accepting she wasn't going to be allowed to ignore him, Hermione emerged from under the covers, sat up in bed and accepted the drink from him. "You go on your own,"she suggested. "I'll stay here."

It was the first day of the new term at Hogwarts, when all the students travelled there on the Hogwarts Express. She and Harry were meant to be taking his children to the station, going through the traditional ritual of waving them all off, before heading into work at the Ministry of Magic. It was a prospect that she found more than a little strange.

Harry looked at her gently, his eyes filled with understanding. "Don't you want to see Rose and Hugo?"

Hermione did want to see her two children, now more than ever. She hadn't seen them in nearly a month, since they'd gone to spend the second part of the summer holidays with Ron, their father and her estranged husband. And it was unlikely she'd have an opportunity to see them again until the next holidays. But she was aware, painfully aware, that her separation from Ron and her new relationship with Harry had caused their relationship to change. "They won't want to see me,"she said quietly.

"Of course they will,"Harry answered. "They love you." He kissed her gently on the lips and she felt a warm glow inside her. "Just like I do."

Hermione couldn't help smiling at him. It was moments like this that reminded her why she'd made the choices she'd made and gave her hope that some day soon her children would make peace with the fact that he was the man she loved. She nodded. "I'll get dressed."

* * *

It felt strange for Hermione to be making the journey to King's Cross with Harry and his children. She couldn't help remembering a year ago, when Ginny had made the trip with Harry to drop off James, Albus and Lily, while she had been there with Ron and her own children. Now Ginny was dead, a victim of the Death Eaters' insane attempts to bring Voldemort back to life, and she was finding the task of filling her role in the Potter family somewhat uncomfortable. She had the feeling there were other members of the family that felt the same.

It wasn't so obvious today, though. Whatever thoughts Albus and Lily had about their de facto stepmother accompanying them, there were no traces of discomfor as they gleefully ran through the barrier to platform 9¾. Harry and Hermione followed with James.

Hermione took a moment to take in the large crowd of parents putting their children onto the train. Her gaze was quickly drawn to their old friend Neville Longbottom, now the Head of Gryffindor and Herbology Master at Hogwarts, who seemed to be giving his wife a very long kiss goodbye before getting on the train. Their two children, Martin and Emily, stood nearby, trying their best to pretend they weren't with them. "Do you have to do that?"Martin complained.

Luna Lovegood broke away from her husband and looked at her son with a slight air of confusion. "We're kissing because we love each other. And if we didn't, you wouldn't be here. So really, you should be pleased."

Like many people before him, Martin found himself stumped by Luna's logic. "Well, if you don't hurry up, the train will leave without us,"he attempted at last.

The three Potter children went over to join their two friends. "Hey, Martin,"James greeted his best friend before glancing at Emily. "Hi, Emily,"he added, as thought it was an after thought.

Emily gave him a shy smile. "Hello, James."

Harry smiled at the pair's exchange, remembering how James had confided in him about his feelings for his friend's sister after their encounter with Voldemort's ghost. He silently wondered how long it would take them to admit to each other how they felt.

Martin was oblivious to the look that had just passed between his friend and his sister. "Have you heard who the Prefects are?"he asked James.

James had been aware that, now they were fifth years, two of their house would be selected as prefects but, given his reputation as a troublemaker, he hadn't been surprised he wasn't selected. "They didn't choose you, did they?"he asked jokingly.

"Not likely,"Martin answered. "I saw Angela Barnes wearing a badge earlier."

James could see why their team match on the house Quidditch team had been chosen. She tended to rival Damon Willis, the team captain, in terms of work ethic. "You reckon Brian Higgs will be the other one? Teachers tend to like him."

"Hey, look!"Lily interrupted, pointing back down the platform. "It's Rose and Hugo."

Hermione quickly followed Lily's finger and caught sight of her two children with Ron. She had only had the barest of interaction with her husband when she'd dropped the children off with him and, even though they were both still working at the Ministry, they'd successfully managed to avoid each other. The only time they'd spent much time around each other was at Teddy and Victoire's wedding. Teddy had insisted on Harry being his best man and Harry had been equally insistent that Hermione was his date and should sit with him on the top table. With both Victoire's parents having been killed in the battle at Riddle Mansion, her grandparents Arthur and Molly had stood in to give her away. Sharing the top table with them, while Ron sat with both their own and his sister and Harry's children at a table with his three brothers Charles, Percy and George and studiously avoided looking at them, had been an interesting experience to say the least.

Hermione hugged both Rose and Hugo, which they didn't exactly respond to but neither of them objected to it either. "How have you both been?"she asked.

"We've been all right,"Rose replied distantly. "Dad's been looking after us well." She looked at Albus. "Have you got your time table for this year?"

Albus nodded. "Potions with Slytherin again. How many subjects have we got with them this year?"

"Five,"Rose answered automatically, before reddening slightly, worried she'd given something away.

"We thought we might see you in Diagon Alley,"Lily was saying to Hugo. "We went in last week."

"We didn't get our things until Thursday,"Hugo explained. "Dad and Parvati took us in." Rose gave him a nudge and he lapsed into silence, realising he'd said something he wasn't supposed to.

"Parvati?"Hermione repeated. She knew that Parvati Patil, her old dorm mate from Gryffindor, had a job at the Ministry as well but she'd never been close to the family. "What was Parvati doing with you?" She took in Rose and Hugo's embarrassed looks and Ron's defiant one and the penny dropped. She looked at Ron in shock. "Is she your _girlfriend_?"

Neville cleared his throat pointedly. "Come on, kids, or the train will leave without us."

As Neville ushered their children away, Hermione continued to question her estranged husband. "Are you _sleeping_ with her?"she demanded, wondering why the idea bothered her so much.

"Are you sleeping with Harry?"Ron retorted, nodding in his former best friend's direction.

Hermione bit her lip, realising she'd overstepped the mark. Ron looked away. She felt Harry's hand grasp her own and looked away as well, turning her attention back to the departing train and managing to put a smile on her face as she waved the children goodbye.

Neither she nor Harry had regretted the choice they'd made for an instant. But it was moments like these that reminded her just how complicated her life had become.


	2. Chapter 2: Long Journeys

**Thanks to the person who left the review and to everyone who's added this to their favourites and/or alerts list. Hope you stay with it.**

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CHAPTER TWO: Long Journeys

"Ron and Parvati,"Hermione complained, aware that she'd said it a number of times on the journey home.

"Does that bother you?"Harry asked. "I mean, I'd rather Ron was happy. It'd make things better for all of us."

"I know but Parvati? I just can't see that. She is so not Ron's type."

"Well, what do you think Ron's type is?"

Hermione gave an embarrassed smile. "Me, I suppose." She sighed. "I know, I'm being irrational. It's just a shock to find I have no idea what's going on in his life." She noticed Harry's sudden awkward look. "What?"

"It's just… I've seen them having lunch together at the Ministry a few times. I thought maybe there was something going on."

"Great. The brightest witch of my generation and I can't even tell who my husband's dating."

Harry put his arms around her waist. "Well, I guess you've been focusing on other things lately."

He kissed her and she melted in the kiss, all her worries disappearing. The kiss became more intense and passionate, she felt him gripping her body tightly and realised it was inevitably going to lead to one thing. She pulled away slightly. "We're supposed to be going to work."

"We could send them a message saying we're both sick and have to spend the day in bed,"Harry suggested. "It's the first time we've had the house to ourselves in ages."

Hermione understood what he meant: They'd both learned that a few Muffliato Charms and Locking Spells could be useful at night when there was children in the house but privacy was still hard to come by. She couldn't help remembering that first crazy week after they'd got together, when Kingsley Shacklebolt had given them time off in the aftermath of the Death Eaters' defeat. They hadn't left the house and she was sure there was a couple of days when they hadn't even managed to get dressed.

Harry kissed her again and she surrendered to it for a moment before pulling away once more, resting her forehead against his. "We'd better go in,"she sighed. "I'll just have a stack of work if we miss a day. It's not like Susan's there to pick up the slack for me."

Harry's mood dampened slightly at the mention of Susan Bones, who had been Hermione's friend and colleague in the Ministry's Law Department, until she'd been killed after following him to Riddle Mansion. "We'd better go in,"he said simply. But the memories of that time, months ago, had caused him to think of Ginny again. He didn't know if any of the Death Eaters they'd captured had known Rodolphus Lestrange was planning to murder her. In truth, he didn't want to know. Rodolphus was dead and those of his followers who had survived were in Azkaban, with sentences ranging from five years to twenty. He had to consider the matter settled or he'd drive himself mad. He was happy with Hermione and between them they would make sure that his and Ginny's children would grow up happy. But Ginny had deserved a long life, to see the adults their children would become, to see her grandchildren… He could forgive what had been taken from him but he'd never forgive what they'd taken from her.

* * *

Parvati was waiting when Ron got home. He was glad of that. With Rose and Hugo at Hogwarts, the house tended to feel empty with just him in it, now Hermione lived elsewhere. "Did they catch the Express all right?"she asked.

Ron nodded. "Yeah, they're on their way,"he confirmed as he sat down next to her.

Parvati had obviously picked up on his sullen mood. "Has something happened?"

"Hugo let slip about us to Hermione."

Parvati remained silent for a few moments, unsure of the right thing to say. "Is that a bad thing?"she asked at last.

Ron shrugged. "Guess she had to find out some time. Nothing to do with her, is it? She's with Harry now."

Parvati waited a bit longer before standing up. "Well, we'd better…"

Ron grabbed her wrist and pulled her back down. She ended up sitting in his lap. He started kissing her, then started unbuttoning her blouse.

"We should-"she attempted.

"Go upstairs? Good idea."

* * *

The Potter, Longbottom and Weasley children had ended up sharing a carriage as the Express train headed towards Hogwarts, so Rose had felt it was only polite to stay with them for a while. But when Albus had had enough of family and gone to look for his friend Owen Spink, Rose had seen that as an excuse for her to do the same.

She made her way towards one of the rear carriages, where she knew the Slytherin students tended to congress. She wandered past the compartments until she came across one full of boys from her year. She stood by the window, trying to attract Scorpius Malfoy's attention.

But it was Apollo Zabini who noticed her first. "Look, Scorpius,"he sneered,"your fellow deputy's come to pick out more people to lock up."

"Give it a rest, Apollo,"Scorpius snapped before heading out of the compartment to meet Rose.

"Why do you hang out with him?"Rose asked.

"I've kind of got to, he's my cousin." Scorpius noticed her look of surprise and shrugged. "His mum and my mum are sisters."

Rose nodded in understanding. "Cousins can be annoying sometimes,"she agreed, recalling all the tricks James had played on her when they were younger.

"Thanks for your owls. It was nice to hear you were thinking of me."

"Well, I liked getting your letters too."

"How was your holidays?"

Rose sighed. "Well, Mum and Dad decided to play pass the parcel with me and Hugo. We spent the first half with Mum and Uncle Harry, then the second half with Dad and his new girlfriend. I had to share a room with my cousin Lily and she never left me alone to read. I kept having to stop her practising spells outside school. What about you?"

Scorpius was silent for a moment. "I missed my dad,"he said at last. "Mum wouldn't even let me talk about him. The only person I could talk to about him was you."

Rose smiled sympathetically. Most people would probably think it strange, given that his father and grandparents were in Azkaban because they'd kept her, Scorpius and their friends prisoner and ended up fighting her parents. Certainly her father had had an expression that suggested he was struggling not to say anything disapproving when he caught her writing to him. But somehow she was able to ignore what Scorpius' family had done and recognise the fact he missed them. "You can talk to me as often as you like,"she told him and hugged him gently.

Scorpius smiled and offered her his arm as they went to find an empty compartment, chatting as they went.

* * *

James did a quick mental check on the current occupants of the compartment. Albus and Rose had left to find their friends. Lily and Hugo were engrossed in a game of exploding snap. And Martin was asleep. Which meant he could give Emily his undivided attention. If he could think of anything to say. From the way she kept looking at him, he had a feeling she wanted him to say something but he wasn't sure. What courage he'd gained from facing down the ghost of the most evil wizard in living memory seemed to have left him.

"You looking forward to being in the fourth year?"he asked her.

Emily looked amused. "Is it any different to being in the third year?"

"Oh yeah, loads different,"James confirmed, even though no real differences sprang to mind. "If you need any advice, you can always come to me."

"Advice from you?"Emily repeated teasingly.

"Yeah. I mean, I did it last year."

"That's true,"she conceeded.

James felt himself getting a bit bolder. "I thought of writing to you,"he admitted. "During the holidays."

He thought he was a faint trace of pleasure in her expression at the news but he wasn't sure. "Why didn't you?"she asked.

"Well… it's a bit weird, isn't it? Writing letters to your friend's sister." He noticed her slump slightly and realised she was in danger of losing interest. "It's just… you were the only person I could talk to after Mum died and I want you to know that meant a lot."

To his relief, she smiled. "I was glad I could be there for you."

"Do you want a butterbeer?"

She seemed surprised but pleased by the offer. "Yes, please."

He nodded. "I'll find the trolley,"he announced, hurrying out of the compartment. He headed down the corridor, fully aware he could be heading in completely the wrong direction, keeping an ear out for the familiar rattle of the refreshment trolley. Instead, he heard something else.

Coming from a store room, he heard a strangulated groan, as if someone was in pain. It didn't sound like a teenager's voice, it sounded older. Adults were pretty rare on the Hogwarts Express, only the occasional teacher like Martin and Emily's father, his parents' friend Neville, made the trip with them.

He knocked on the door, trying to see through the frosted window. He could see the outline of someone stretching. "Are you all right in there?"he asked.

The door was suddenly flung open, hitting him in the face. He had the briefest glimpse of a blonde-haired woman pushing past him before he was knocked to the floor. By the time he had a chance to look round, she was nowhere in sight. Either she'd ducked into one of the compartments or she'd made it as far as the next carriage. Even though he hadn't got a good look at her, he was sure she was someone he didn't know. Were there any new teachers at Hogwarts? He wasn't sure what had been done with the headteacher's position since Professor McGonagall's death, whether Professor Slughorn was still headmaster as he had been for the remainder of the last school year or whether someone else had been appointed. He resolved to keep an eye out.

He was about to close the door and move on when he noticed a small glass bottle lying on its side in the middle of the store room. He picked it up and sniffed it. There was an unpleasant odour coming from the dregs of a potion in the bottom of the bottle. He thought he recognised it but he wasn't sure. What he was sure was that the woman he'd seen had been doing something she really didn't want anyone to know about.


	3. Chapter 3: Choosing the Future

CHAPTER THREE: Choosing the Future

James hadn't really paid much attention to the sorting ceremony, simply giving a half-hearted cheer every time he heard a new student being assigned to Gryffindor. He was sitting at his house's table with Martin, Albus, Rose, Lily and Hugo but he kept sneaking looks over at Emily on the Ravenclaw table. He thought he'd seen her looking back a couple of times but he wasn't sure.

When the last of the new first years had scampered off to join their new house, Professor Slughorn took his place at the podium. "Now, as you may have guessed from my appearing here, over the summer the Board of Governors decided that enough time has passed since the sad loss of Professor McGonagall to select a permanent replacement as headteacher. So, that post is now mine."

There was applause from the students at the news, with the Slytherins applauding loudest.

"And, as you may have guessed from his assisting with the sorting ceremony, Professor Filius Flitwick has been appointed my deputy."

More applause, with the Ravenclaws leading it this time.

"Taking up my old post as Head of Slytherin and Potions teacher, we have a new member of staff, Professor Melinda Havelock."

Polite applause greeted the new arrival. James looked at her closely. He'd spotted her immediately as the only new staffmember: A woman in her late 30s, of average height and with black hair. Even though he'd only caught a glimpse of the woman on the train, he was sure it wasn't her.

Slughorn continued,"Now, we're all aware there was a certain amount of excitement last year. Certain students got themselves into trouble and there were a number of intruders on school grounds. But that matter has been dealt with and there will be no repeat of it. So, let's all look forward to a happy time of learning and healthy competition. Let the welcome banquet commence."

* * *

In recent months, Hermione had avoided looking around for Ron in the Ministry canteen, which perhaps explained why she was so unaware of all the changes in his life recently. But this time, she couldn't fail to miss him sitting with Parvati, laughing and holding hands with her. It was as if, now she was aware of the relationship, he was quite happy to show it off in public.

"Do you think we should invite them to sit with us?"she asked Harry.

He raised an eyebrow at that. "You mean like a double date? I don't think they'd necessarily go for that."

"I just thought maybe, to show there's no hard feelings…" Hermione shot another look in the pair's direction. "Do you think he mixed them up?"

Harry was looking bemused. "What?"

"The Patil twins. Do you think he asked the wrong one out? Because he went to the Yule Ball with Padma that time…"

"He was fourteen!"Harry reminded her. "I went with Parvati and you went with Viktor Krum! Are you going to look _him_ up?"

"I don't need to, I send him a Christmas card every year. Ron always pretended not to be jealous." Hermione sighed. "Do you think it's strange for him, seeing us sat here together? Because I have to admit, it's strange seeing him with someone else."

"I think it's strange for all of us,"Harry answered. "The three of us have been friends for nearly thirty years. I'm used to seeing you both every day. So, sometimes, when we're together, it feels just like old times, like what we've always done. Then I remember how much things have changed."

Hermione smiled at him. "I guess you're right. But sometimes, change can be good."

* * *

The Prefects had marched their respective houses back to their common rooms after the welcome banquet, with Angela Barnes and Brian Higgs revelling in their new positions. There had only been two lessons in the afternoon, both of them fairly light introductory affairs to give them a chance to acclimatise. James, Martin and the rest of the fifth year Gryffindors had had Transfiguration with Ernie Macmillan, the Head of Hufflepuff, and then their first Potions class with Melinda Havelock. Despite his earlier certainty, James had spent a fair amount of time scrutinising her, trying to work out if she could have transmogrified her hair somehow or put lifts in her heels, until she'd asked him what he was looking at and he'd had to invent a question to explain the examination.

The crowd in the common room was beginning to thin out and James finally had an opportunity for a private conversation with someone. He was relieved that Albus was sat in one of the chairs, looking over his Charms textbook. His brother was usually the most receptive listener for his theories. He sat down near him. "Albus, have you seen a woman with blonde hair around anywhere?"

Albus looked at him as if he were perculiar. "What, is this a new craving of yours or something?"

"No, I saw a woman with blonde hair on the train. She seemed to be in a hurry, like she was trying to hide something."

"Well, I don't think she was one of the teachers. None of them look like that. Could she have been hitching a lift to Hogsmeade? Maybe she wasn't meant to be there and that was why she ran off."

James considered this. It made a kind of sense, it would explain why she was hiding in a store room. But then there was that strange sound she'd made. And… "There was a bottle that she left behind. At least, I think she left it behind. It had a potion in it. Do you think you could recognise a potion from a few drops?"

"Not me. Rose probably could, though. Maybe we should show it to her?"

"Good idea." James hurried up the staircase to the boys' dormitory and headed to his room. He looked around for his school bag, eventually finding it dumped near his bed. He searched the pocket where he'd placed the bottle… but it wasn't there. He searched every other pocket in the bag and even checked under the bed to see if it had rolled under there. But there was no sign of it.

Then he realised why. Someone had taken it.

* * *

Harry eyed Hermione cautiously across the dinner table. She seemed to be tucking into the meal, which was a good sign. He needed confirmation though. "Is it all right?"

Hermione nodded and smiled. "It's great, Harry."

Harry was relieved. Cooking was something of a new experience for him. It was only since the previous year, when Kreacher had been killed trying to protect Ginny, that he'd had to do it himself. He'd tentatively broached the idea of hiring a new house elf but Hermione, with her lifelong hatred of what she considered the exploitation of house elves, had put an abrupt halt to the plan. He wondered idly what Kreacher would have thought if he'd lived to see Hermione become the mistress of the house. He'd probably have enjoyed it more than he'd have made out.

"I was thinking earlier,"Harry continued.

Hermione looked up, interested. "About what?"

"That we should buy a bigger house."

Hermioned looked at him in shock. "Harry, no! This has been your home for years, it's your last connection with Sirius."

"I know and I'd never sell it. I was thinking maybe keep this as a second house, use it as a base for the Order, and get somewhere better for when the children come to stay." Despite all of the revived group of Death Eaters having been imprisoned, Harry had refused to disband the new Order of the Phoenix he'd formed the previous year. Perhaps it was over caution on his part, but he felt they needed to be ready... just in case.

Hermione was obviously considering the idea. She knew as well as he did that, while the house was big enough for two adults and three children, the arrangements when Rose and Hugo had spent part of the holiday with them was less than ideal: Rose and Lily sharing a room had rubbed each other up the wrong way and Albus and Hugo hadn't had enough space in the room they shared.

"It's not like I had to buy this place,"Harry reminded her. "So I've still got a load of savings from the money my parents left me. And you did say change can be good?"

Hermione bit her lip thoughtfully. "Let me think about it,"she said at last.


	4. Chapter 4: Building and Burning Bridges

**Many thanks to everyone who's left a review, it's very interesting to hear people's opinions on the story and my handling of the characters so please keep them coming!**

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CHAPTER FOUR: Building and Burning Bridges

Harry and Hermione had reached the junction of the Ministry corridors where they were usually required to go their separate ways, Harry towards the Auror offices and Hermione towards the Law department. "I'll meet you for lunch then?"Harry asked. He waited for her response but Hermione didn't seem to be listening. Instead her gaze was focused on something behind him.

Harry looked round and saw Parvati on her way towards her own office in the Department of Mysteries. "I think I should talk to her,"Hermione observed.

Harry looked at her bemused. "Okay. Have you any idea what you're going to say?"

"I'll think of something. See you at lunch." Hermione gave him a quick kiss and ran down the corridor. "Parvati, wait!"

Harry rolled his eyes and smiled before heading off towards his own department.

Parvati paused, looking slightly uncomfortable, as her boyfriend's estranged wife hurried towards her. "Hermione,"she said awkwardly.

"Hi,"Hermione responded with a bit too much cheeriness. "It feels like ages since we've spoken."

Parvati nodded slowly. "It's been a while,"she agreed.

"So… you and Ron, hey?"

"Yes, he told me you knew. Look, Hermione…"

"I want him to be happy." Hermione dropped the false jollity and was suddenly all seriousness. "I know I hurt him and I know he didn't deserve that but I know I'd have hurt him more if I stayed with him and pretended I felt the same way he did. It was me and him and the children for a long time and now… now that's over. And that was my choice and so any issues I might have… Well, as long as he's happy and the children are happy, that should be enough."

"He's a good man,"Parvati said quietly. "And the children are lovely. I wouldn't do anything to hurt any of them."

"I know you wouldn't." Hermione tried to think of something else to say but nothing sprang to mind. "I guess I'll see you around then,"she managed at last before heading off in the direction of her office.

* * *

The fourth years Gryffindors and Slytherins had Potions first lesson of the day, their first lesson with Professor Havelock. "I think for this first lesson you should show me exactly what you've learned from Professor Slughorn,"she told them. "So I want each of you, individually, to choose a potion and brew it to perfection. It doesn't matter what you choose, I'd rather you did a good job of something you learnt in first year than try something more advanced and make a mess of it."

There was a rush for the ingredients cupboards as the students tried to retrieve enough items for their chosen potions before their classmates grabbed them. Rose had decided to attempt a Calming Draught; she still had bad memories of the mess she'd made of it the previous year, when she was upset about Aunt Ginny's death, and was determined to exorcise a few of them.

Albus and Owen had both decided to attempt a Swelling Solution. They were sharing ingredients and seemed to be enjoying choosing items from their bags to test it on a bit too much.

Scorpius was at the table with them. "Yours is looking good,"he remarked to Rose. "Maybe being near you some of your talent will rub off on me."

Rose glanced at his cauldron. "You don't look like you need my help,"she told him. "You're doing well."

Scorpius gave a slightly shy smile and looked as though he was about to say something but then one of the girls from his house, Zara Mills, called out to him. "Scorpius! Can you give me a hand with this?"

Scorpius looked over at her. "I think we're meant to do it on our own,"he told her. He glanced at Melinda, who nodded in confirmation.

Zara wasn't to be deterred. "Well, can you let me know what you think of it?"

Scorpius couldn't think of any reason to object to that so he went over to Zara's table.

Rose felt a pang of jealousy. She and Scorpius had begun defying tradition recently by having meals at each other's tables in the Great Hall, which wasn't against school rules by any means but was unusual enough to raise a few eyebrows. But she still found she missed him in the evening when they had to go back to their separate common rooms. Seeing the brown-haired Slytherin girl hanging on his every word reminded her that his housemates had no such problems.

"All right, time's up,"Melinda announced. "Stand by your cauldrons and I'll let you know what I think." She walked round the classroom, assessing each potion in turn, offering helpful hints and the occasional compliment. She stopped by Scorpius. "An Undetectable Poison? I hope that doesn't say anything about your intentions."

Scorpius looked slightly bashful. "My dad gave me some tips on it once."

She patted him on the shoulder and gave him an affectionate smile. "I'm only teasing you. You've done a good job. Ten points to Slytherin."

"Oh great,"Owen muttered to Albus. "Another teacher who favours their own house."

Melinda moved on to Rose. "Miss Weasley." She sniffed the cauldron, examining the golden liquid within. "Well, I can't see anything wrong with that, so ten points to Gryffindor. It seems you're following in your mother's footsteps when it comes to being annoyingly successful."

"You know my mum?"Rose asked in surprise.

"Vaguely. I was two years below her and in Slytherin, so I didn't see much of her. She didn't tend to socialise with our house." She glanced from Rose to Scorpius and raised an eyebrow. "So that's one area where you don't take after her."

* * *

Hermione stole a glance up at the clock in her office. She'd been doing a lot of prep work on a case that was coming up and, with her brain fully occupied, the morning had flown by. It was nearly time to meet Harry for lunch.

As she got up from her desk, she was startled by a sudden movement from the doorway. She looked up to see Parvati standing there. She forced a smile on her face. "Parvati! I was about to go to lunch, do you want to walk with me?"

Suddenly, Parvati's wand was pointing right at her. "_Excrucio_!"she snapped and a white light burst from the end of the wand.

Hermione was struck in the chest by a Stinging Hex and thrown back into the wall, gasping for breath. She looked around and saw her wand lying on her desk. She made a dive for it.

"Oh no, you don't,"Parvati snapped. "_Levicorpus_!" The spell lifted Hermione off her feet and slammed her against the wall to her left, far away from her wand. She slid down the wall and lay in a heap on the floor.

Parvati kept her wand trained on Hermione and Hermione felt the pain and pressure from a silent curse stopping her from getting to her feet. The other woman's face was twisted in a look of pure hatred, so much so that Hermione could barely recognise her. She'd never known Parvati demonstrate anything approaching this level of malice before.

"It's all your fault!"Parvati snarled, sounding almost incoherent. "You did this to him! You ruined his life! You've got no right, he's better than you, he'll always be better than you! You're nothing!"

Hermione was barely listening. Instead, she stared at the wand on her desk. She had only one chance now. She'd attempted wandless magic a few times and had some success but she was aware of the potentially chaotic effects. But whatever she did, she couldn't be worse off. She stretched out a hand and focused on the most powerful Summoning Charm she could think of.

The wand flew into her hand. Hermione swung it round and pointed it at Parvati. "_Impedimenta_!"

The force of the spell sent Parvati flying back out through the door. She scrambled to her feet and scampered away.

Hermione took long deep breaths to try and calm herself, her body shaking with shock, unable to believe what had just happened.


	5. Chapter 5: The Confusing Investigation

CHAPTER FIVE: The Confusing Investigation

Harry stood behind Hermione, gently rubbing her shoulders, feeling her trembling slightly in the aftermath of the attack. They were in the office of Harry's immediate superior and the head of the Auror department, Matthias Rawling, who had insisted on heading up the investigation himself. Parvati was there, with Ron standing supportively at her shoulder. And Kingsley Shacklebolt, the Minister of Magic, taking a very keen interest in one of his staff being attacked in the ministry itself.

The other person in the room was Harald Williamson, one of the department's best forensics experts. He had a magic goggle over one eye as he closely inspected Parvati's wand. After several minutes' deliberation, in which everyone stared at him silently, he removed the goggle and cleared his throat. "This is not the wand used in the attack on Mrs. Weasley."

Hermione stared at him in shock. "But it must be!"

"Do you recognise it?"Rawling asked.

Hermione shot him a look. "I was attacked in my own office by one of my co-workers. I didn't pay much attention to the wand she was using."

Rawling looked back at Parvati. "This is your wand?"

"Yes,"Parvati answered. "You can see from my record."

Rawling glanced at Kingsley. The Minister nodded. "That is registered in Parvati's file as her wand."

"I've done a magical trace on the spells directed against Mrs. Weasley,"Williamson continued. "And it was not a wand that we have on file."

"The only wands we have records of are Ministry employees and known criminals,"Kingsley pointed out.

"And even then we can't discount anyone,"Harry pointed out. "Rodolphus Lestrange used Miranda Bloggs' wand to kill Ginny so it couldn't be traced. Any Dark Wizard could steal a wand and use it."

"It wasn't me!"Parvati protested. She looked at Hermione beseechingly. "Hermione, you know I wouldn't do this."

Hermione hesitated. "I didn't think you would. But I saw you."

"When did this happen?"Ron asked.

"Just before twelve o'clock."

"Well, I met Parvati in her office at five past and she didn't look like she'd just been in a fight."

"But you can't confirm her whereabouts at twelve o'clock?"Kingsley answered.

Ron sighed. "No. But you've done the check on her, no-one's hit her with the Impediment Jinx recently."

"Nevertheless, as a precaution, I'm suspending Miss Patil from duty. Miss Patil, a trace will be placed on your wand and there will be a restriction on how far from the Ministry you are allowed to Apparate."

Parvati nodded, looking upset. Ron put an arm around her shoulder and led her out of the office, shooting an annoyed look at his two old friends as he did so.

"Rawling, Williamson, I'd like to discuss the particulars of the case with you in my office,"Kingsley announced. "Harry, I think you have some work to do here."

Harry waited until the three had left before enfolding Hermione in a hug. "You believe me, don't you?" she asked.

"I believe you about what happened,"Harry answered. "But we both know there are a lot of ways someone could have made themselves look like Parvati."

Hermione gave a hollow laugh. "Don't know what's worse. If Parvati attacked me over the way I treated Ron or if there's two people with a reason to hurt me."

Harry tilted her chin and stared her in the eye. "Whoever did this, I'm going to make sure they don't hurt you again."

* * *

Rose was washing her hands in the girls' bathroom. She wasn't sure what to make of their new Potions teacher. Melinda seemed to be fair minded and had complimented her on her work but Rose couldn't help feeling that the teacher resented her in some way.

She heard a flushing noise from one of the cubicles and saw Zara Mills, the Slytherin girl who had been hanging off Scorpius in class, emerge. Zara looked hard at Rose. "You're kidding yourself, you know."

Rose looked back at her, astonished. "I'm sorry?"

"You really think Scorpius Malfoy will go for you? That whole plain, bookworm look might work for the dumb jocks in Gryffindor but he comes from a decent family. He's going to want more than that."

"I don't see what his family's got to do with that,"Rose retorted.

"Really? Your father's a Weasley and your mother's a Muggleborn. That's two of the things that the Malfoys hate the most. Even if Scorpius does lower himself to spending time with you, you think his family will ever let him marry you?" Zara turned and stalked out of the bathroom.

Rose felt a tear running down her cheek.

* * *

"You don't have to take me back here,"Parvati claimed as Ron led her into the front room of his place.

"Well, what else am I gonna do?"he asked. "Let you go back to your flat on your own?"

"Some people might, with me being a suspected felon."

Ron shrugged. "Some of my best friends have been suspected felons."

"You do believe me, don't you?"

"Wouldn't be bringing you back here if I didn't."

Parvati gave a slight smile. "So you're not secretly hoping I really did attack Hermione?"

Ron shook his head. "She doesn't deserve that."

Parvati's smile faltered. "Do you still love her?"

Ron shrugged. "We've got two kids together. I'm not gonna want anything to happen to her for their sake." He gripped Parvati's hand. "I'm on your side here, okay?"

* * *

Rose had been sitting in a corner of the quad, trying to hide her tears, when Scorpius found her. "What's wrong?"he asked.

Rose gave a slight sniff. "It's nothing."

"It's not nothing. Has something upset you?"

Rose abandoned the pretence. "It's Zara."

"Zara?" Scorpius looked concerned. "Is this because I was helping her in Potions?"

"No, it's what she said afterwards. About how your family would never accept us…"- she broke off, not wanting to give too much away about her feelings –"…being friends. And she's right, I'm not what they want for you."

"And I'm not going to pay any attention to them,"Scorpius insisted. "I'm probably not what your family expected but are you going to stop being friends with me because of that?"

Rose thought this over. "Your family can be a bit scary though."

Scorpius shrugged. "I wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of your dad." He grinned and Rose found herself grinning as well. Then he noticed Zara at the other end of the quad, surrounded by a gaggle of friends. "Come on,"he snapped, grabbing Rose by the hand and dragging her along after him.

Zara saw the pair approaching. "Hi, Scorpius,"she began. "Do you want to do our..?"

"What have you been saying to Rose?"Scorpius demanded.

Zara looked bemused. "I've never spoken to Rose Weasley in my life. Certainly not today."

"In the bathroom,"Rose insisted. "First break after lunch. You told me Scorpius' family would never accept me."

"You're crazy, Gryffindor. I was in the common room all through third break. Just ask this lot." She nodded to her friends before the group stalked away.

Scorpius looked at Rose. "I swear it was her,"she insisted.


	6. Chapter 6: Taking Stock

**My thanks for the reviews for the last chapter, I always like to know what people think of my stories so please feel free to share your thoughts.**

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CHAPTER SIX: Taking Stock

James drummed his fingers irritably on the table in the library. Martin, Emily, Rose and Scorpius, who were all sitting with him, kept shooting him annoyed glares which he either didn't notice or chose to ignore. "What's keeping him so long?"he complained.

The others were relieved when Albus walked through the door a few seconds later. James, on the other hand, wasn't especially pleased: Albus had Lily and Hugo with him.

"What are they doing here?"he demanded.

"They're involved in this too,"Albus answered nonchalantly.

"You keep leaving us out,"Lily complained. "You were the same last year."

"What, you're jealous you didn't get captured and beaten by Voldemort's old people?"James retorted. His use of the Dark Lord's name was enough to silence most of the group but Lily continued to stubbornly stand her ground and Hugo didn't seem keen on leaving without her.

"We're just talking,"Albus pointed out. "It's not like we're planning to stake out the Forbidden Forest again."

"They might think of some things that we don't,"Rose agreed.

James looked beseechingly at his best friend. "Martin, help me out here."

Martin shrugged. "You invited _my_ sister. Might as well have yours here too."

James looked at Emily, who blushed slightly at the comment, and gave up. "Okay, sit down, all of you."

The three of them took their seats at the table. "So what's all this about?"Albus asked.

"Well, for one thing,"James began,"one of the girls in Slytherin warned Rose not to be friends with Scorpius."

It was hard not to make the declaration sound like an anti-climax. "Is that all?"Lily complained.

"No, it's not all,"Rose answered. "We confronted her about it later and she denied it."

Lily didn't seem convinced. "So she was lying. Big surprise."

"I don't think she was lying,"Scorpius put in. "I've known her lie before and she's not very good at it. This time, it seemed like she really didn't know what we were talking about."

"And then there was the woman I saw on the Hogwarts Express,"James continued. "She was taking some sort of potion. I got the bottle but someone stole it from my dorm room. And then there's what happened to Aunt Hermione a few weeks ago."

"To Mum?"Hugo asked in shock. "What happened to her?"

Rose had done her best to hide the incident, which had received a few inches in the Daily Prophet, from her brother. She shot James a look of annoyance at his tactlessness. "Someone attacked her at the Ministry,"she explained gently. "But she fought them off, she wasn't badly hurt. She… she thought it was Parvati."

"Parvati?"Hugo repeated, his eyes widening. "But she wouldn't do that, would she?"

"Dad doesn't think so,"Rose answered. She'd exchanged owls with Ron as soon as she'd heard of the incident.

"Neither does my dad,"James added. The comment caught Rose by surprise. It hadn't occurred to her that James might have been in touch with Harry and she wondered if he'd spoken to Hermione as well. She felt a slight pang of guilt as she realised she hadn't thought to check in with her mother and see that she was all right. James carried on. "But that just proves my point. People aren't who they appear to be. I think… I think maybe there's a group of people disguising themselves, moving among us."

"There are certain potions and transfiguration spells that can alter someone's appearance,"Emily confirmed. "They could be using them."

"But why go to all that trouble just to stop a couple of school kids from being friends?"Martin asked.

"They could be into blood purity,"Scorpius suggested quietly. "My grandad was always talking about that, how I had to make the proper marriage when the time comes, carry on the Malfoy line. Maybe they were worried about me and Rose being close." Rose gripped his hand, a gesture that didn't go unnoticed by the rest of the table.

"That might be why they went after Hermione too,"Emily suggested. "She's one of the most famous Muggleborns around. She'd be bound to be a target."

"But if this is true,"Albus pointed out,"then at least one of them must be here. In Hogwarts."

James nodded slowly. "And in the Ministry."

* * *

Hermione looked around a hallway that seemed to be bigger than the entire ground floor of Grimmauld Place, gaping at how many rooms seemed to be leading off it. She looked at Harry and smiled. "It's beautiful."

Harry glanced at the wizard estate agent. "I think we're interested."

He gave a curt nod. "Let me know when you're done." He pointed his wand at a set of keys and one of them floated off the key chain into Harry's hand. "That should open everything,"he told them, before shuffling off down the corridor.

Harry put his arms round Hermione and gently kissed the side of her head. "What do you think?"

"Can we really afford this?"she asked.

"Well, if we can, what do you think? Six bedrooms, so there's one for all the kids. Miles away from any Muggle homes so we don't have to worry about privacy spells. We could put a Quidditch pitch in the back garden."

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "That's why you want to buy it? So we can have a Quidditch pitch?"

"Well, I think James and Albus would like to practise and Lily seems to be getting into the game as well. And I seem to remember Hugo kept asking me and Ron to throw a ball about with him."

"That's true,"Hermione agreed. "Thank goodness Rose prefers to keep her feet on the ground or I'd really feel left out."

"So…are we interested?"

Hermione paused and took a deep breath. "I think it'd be nice to have something that's ours. Yours and mine. Might make me feel like a bit less of an interloper."

Harry turned her to face him. "Do you really feel like that?"

Hermione smiled gently. "You've never made me feel like I'm not welcome but Grimmauld Place was yours and Ginny's home. I could never put my own stamp on it and I wouldn't want to. This place…" She took out her wand and tapped it experimentally against a wall, which suddenly changed to a deep shade of purple. "It's got prospects."

Harry smiled back. "And you're all right about everything else? I mean… Parvati."

Parvati had been reinstated at the Ministry the previous week. The investigation had found no evidence linking her to the attack other than Hermione's witness statement, which, given the number of ways there were for a witch or wizard to change their appearance, had been ruled circumstantial.

"I was so sure it was her,"Hermione mused. "But now… now I'm not sure. I hope it isn't her, I shared a dorm with her for six years, Ron and the children seem to like her… I just don't know."

Harry looked at her steadily. "Whoever it was… we'll find them."


	7. Chapter 7: Playing the Game

**My** **thanks again for the comment on the last chapter. And if anyone's reading this who recently left a comment on The Resurrection Movement, thanks for that as well.**

* * *

CHAPTER SEVEN: Playing the Game

Harry and Hermione were surrounded by Gryffindor students. It was the first match of the Hogwarts Quidditch season, Gryffindor v Slytherin. Neville had invited them to join him and their old house to view the game, so they were standing with him near the front of the stand, with Rose, Lily and Hugo lined up in front of them. "I'm surprised you didn't try out,"Harry remarked to his daughter. "You're allowed your own broom now you're a second year."

"I did,"Lily answered. "Damon made me reserve Seeker, like you and Mum. So if Albus gets injured, I'm in the team."

"I tried out for Keeper,"Hugo interjected. "Dad's old position. Damon said I was too small and I should try again when I got older. He's made me a reserve Chaser, though."

"Perhaps you shouldn't have tried out for the captain's own position,"Hermione suggested with a smile. But like Harry, she felt slightly disappointed the children hadn't shared this information with them before.

Neville nodded towards the pitch. "They're about to start."

The Gryffindor team was unchanged from the previous year, with the oldest member of the team, Timothy Wood, now in his seventh year. James, Martin and Albus lined up with the rest of their team as Damon shook hands with the Slytherin captain, Matthew Stone. Then Damon flew back into his position as Keeper, the Quaffle was hurled into the air and the game began.

Harry stole a glance over at the Slytherin supporters. He had been hoping to catch a glimpse of the new head of the house but curiously there didn't seem to be any sign of her. The only teacher in the Slytherin stand was Slughorn, whose position as headmaster didn't stop him cheering on his old house.

Natalie Ellis had the Quaffle for Gryffindor and passed it to Timothy, who passed it to Angela Barnes. She was about to take a shot when a Bludger, apparently redirected by one of the Slytherin Beaters, went flying in her direction. She ducked with a yelp and the ball fell out of her hands. Apollo Zabini swooped under her and caught it for Slytherin. Martin aimed a Bludger at him, which wasn't enough to make him drop the ball but did mean he had to change direction away from the goal to avoid it.

"Don't hover there watching the game, James!"Damon shouted. "That's what you should be doing!"

Stung by the criticism, James flew towards the nearest Bludger and swung his bat at it, aiming it at Apollo, who managed to hurl the Quaffle to Jessica Pucey, the youngest and only female member of the Slytherin team, who was a third year like Natalie. James recalled how Damon had chastised him the previous year for being too much of a gentleman to aim a Bludger at Emily during the match with Ravenclaw. No-one had seemed to realise it was more to do with it being Emily than being a girl. He aimed a Quaffle at her but Matthias Jackson, one of the Slytherin Beaters, intercepted it, sending it shooting towards Angela, who had to duck quickly.

Albus and Scorpius, the opposing teams' Seekers, had played little part in the action up until now, being busy scanning the pitch for the Snitch. Albus caught a glimpse of movement in the air and focused on the spot. Yes, it was definitely the Snitch. He glanced at the scoreboard. Gryffindor were ahead 60-30. Either team would win if they caught the Snitch and Scorpius was closer to it than him. If he made a dive for it, his opponent would probably do the same.

Albus began gently floating in the right direction, hoping not to be too obvious. Scorpius looked at him, looked at the Snitch… and as if realising it was the centre of attention, the Snitch shot upwards. Albus and Scorpius both shot after it, until they were almost flying side by side, hands outstretched, finger tips scrambling to touch it… and then Scorpius managed to reach just that bit further forward, grasping the Snitch in his hand.

The referee's whistle blew. The Slytherin stand erupted in cheering. The Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs acknowledged the victory with polite applause.

"Yes, great catch, Scorpius!"Rose cheered. Every other pair of eyes in the otherwise silent Gryffindor stand stared at her. "You've got to admit, that was a good catch,"she amended lamely.

Neville grinned at Harry and Hermione. "And I get strange looks when I cheer for Emily in Ravenclaw."

Harry was about to answer when his attention was drawn to a black-haired woman running across the pitch towards the Slytherin stand. She made for Slughorn and began a conversation that, although inaudible from where they were sitting, seemed rather urgent.

"That's the new Head of Slytherin,"Neville explained.

Slughorn and Melinda were now hurrying back in the direction Melinda had come from, towards the castle. Harry, Hermione and Neville bounded down the steps, pushing through the crowd of students, and intercepted them at the edge of the pitch. "What's going on?"Harry asked.

"It's Professor Macmillan,"Melinda replied. "He's been attacked."

* * *

Madame Pomfrey was in the middle of treating a wound to Ernie's head as Harry, Hermione, Neville, Slughorn, Melinda and Flitwick all crowded around him. "Just tell us slowly what happened,"Harry suggested.

Ernie sighed. "I've already explained all this to Melinda when she found me and to Madame Pomfrey when she asked how I did this."

"Just do it again,"Harry persisted.

"I was going to check on the Transfiguration classroom before going to watch the game. I heard someone inside and I went in. And that's when he turned and hit me with a Stunning Spell."

"He?"Slughorn asked. "It was definitely a man?"

Ernie hesitated. "He definitely looked like a man,"he offered.

"Why do you doubt it?"Flitwick asked.

"Well… because he looked like Neville."

Everyone else in the room looked at Neville. "Me?"he asked. "But I was watching the Quidditch!"

"Neville's been with us for the past hour,"Hermione interjected. "It couldn't be him."

Ernie shrugged. "That's what I thought."

Harry turned to Melinda. "What can you tell us, Professor Havelock?"

"Very little. I'd been cleaning up in the Potions classroom, I was coming past here and I found Professor Macmillan on the floor."

"You must be sorry you missed the game,"Hermione suggested with a touch of ice to her tone.

Melinda shrugged. "I was never that interested in Quidditch. Did we win?"

"Why, yes,"Slughorn confirmed. "Young Malfoy made a marvellous play to get the Snitch and Miss Pucey scored a couple of splendid goals…"

Seeing the other teachers were distracted for a moment, Harry drew Hermione and Neville aside. "Does all this remind you of something?"

Hermione bit her lip slightly. "You mean when I was attacked by someone who looked like Parvati?"

Harry nodded. "This can't just be a coincidence. There's something going on."

"But what can we do about it?"Neville asked.

Harry looked over his shoulder to make sure no-one else was listening. "Whatever we do, I don't think we can do it alone."


	8. Chapter 8: Brought to Order

CHAPTER EIGHT: Brought to Order

Harry hadn't expected to find himself returning to Grimmauld Place so soon. He had placed an enchantment on the house meaning it would allow access to all the members of the Order but he'd viewed it more as a private club than the base of an anti-terrorist organisation. But recent events had meant he'd had to change all that. He'd had to summon the Order of the Phoenix.

He looked over the group that had gathered there. Hermione, of course, with Neville and Luna. Ron and Parvati were there with Ron's brothers Percy, Charles and George and Parvati's sister Padma. Teddy and Victoire. Ernie. Hannah Abbott. Seamus Finnigan. Oliver Wood, Angelina Johnson, Katie Bell, Cho Chang, Michael Corner, Gabrielle Delacour. He was reminded briefly of the faces missing from when he'd first called them together and forced the memories away. Guilt would make him no good to anyone.

"I suppose you've all heard the reports,"he remarked. "Hermione and Ernie have both been attacked recently."

"Did they see who did it?"Hannah asked.

"Yes, they saw who did it,"Harry confirmed. "The people they saw do it are in this room."

Those present who hadn't heard the full story quickly turned their gaze on Hermione and Ernie. "I saw Parvati,"Hermione said after a moment's silence.

"I saw Neville,"Ernie added.

All eyes instantly turned on the two suspects. "I didn't do it,"Neville said hastily.

"Neither did I,"Parvati put in.

"We know that,"Harry agreed. "So the question is, how did their attackers manage to look like someone else?"

"They could be your doubles,"Luna suggested.

Harry stared at her. "What?"

"Their doubles. It's well known that a magic trace is taken of all witches and wizards when they're children. Then doctors use it to create a fully fledged duplicate of someone whenever it's requested." She looked at Neville in some consternation. "I hope there's not a double of you around. That would be very confusing."

"Well, it's a possibility,"Harry agreed. "Anything else?"

"Could it be a perception spell?"Padma asked. "So the caster doesn't actually look different but people that see them fill in the blanks with their own mind?"

"Or a mask,"George added. "We've been working on them at the joke shop, magic masks that can make you look like whoever you like. Never quite managed to get it right but someone might be using the same idea."

"Well, this is a good start,"Harry replied with relief. "What we need to do is work out a way we can prove any of these theories. And we need to keep an eye out for any similar incidents."

"The Quibbler issued a special box once that lights up when duplicates are around,"Luna remarked. "I'm sure I've still got mine around somewhere…"

"One question,"Victoire interjected. "Do you think this is anything to do with those Death Eaters we captured?"

Harry hesitated. "Well… we're not ruling anything out."

* * *

Hermione had been looking through old copies of the Daily Prophet with Neville and Luna but her attention kept wandering over to where Parvati and Padma were doing their own research. "I'm going to have to do something,"she said at last. She glanced at her two friends. "Wish me luck." She took a deep breath and walked over to the two sisters. "Parvati, I'm sorry."

Parvati stared at her. "What for?"

"For accusing you. I should have known it wasn't you but…the things that you, I mean she, said…"

"You think they're right?"Parvati prompted. Hermione coloured slightly. "We both know you hurt Ron but I'm not your enemy."

"I know, I know! I've been trying to say that I'm not yours. I guess we both made a mess of things."

There was an awkward silence. "I think we need to check that pile of papers over there,"Padma interjected.

Parvati nodded in relief. "Yes, I think we do." She hurried off with her sister.

Hermione let out a breath. Then she heard a voice behind her. "That was a very brave thing you just did."

Hermione turned round. She hadn't realised Cho was there. "Thank you."

Cho didn't seem in any hurry to move. "I was wondering… do you think that they really are behind this? The Death Eaters that you captured? I mean…all of them."

Hermione understood. It had shocked her to see people that had been in Gryffindor among the Death Eaters' ranks but, despite their ill-advised date to Slughorn's party, she hadn't known Cormac McLaggen that well and Romilda Vane was just someone she shared a common room with. For Cho it was different. She'd been best friends with Marietta Edgecombe, she'd played Quidditch with Roger Davies. It must be hard for her to see them as the enemy.

"They did some terrible things,"she said quietly, remembering the deaths of Susan and Fleur.

Cho nodded slowly. "How are the children?"

Hermione was surprised by the question. "They're okay."

"It's just…Michael and I have had our rough patches and I know they've been hard on Li. We were nearly divorced once."

Hermione hadn't known that. "But you're still together?"

"We went to see the elders and they said the marriage bond between us was still strong. So we worked at it."

"Ron and I went to see the elders about dissolving our bond,"Hermione sighed. "They said it shouldn't be a problem."

* * *

Harry found what seemed to be a gathering of Weasleys in the kitchen: Ron, George, Percy and Charles. His mind started imagining all sorts of things that could happen if they all turned their wands on him but he forced himself to do what he'd intended to do. "Ron, can we have a word?"

Ron's three brothers all looked at him. "Yeah, sure,"he answered, giving them their cue to leave. He stood in silence until he and Harry were alone before asking "So?"

"I just thought…we haven't spent much time together lately."

Harry could hear the nervous tone to his voice. His nervousness wasn't helped by the almost scornful look Ron gave him. "Yeah, funny that."

Harry winced. "Come on, Ron, we've been friends for a long time."

"Do you really want to have the 'You're sleeping with my wife' conversation now? Because it's not why we're here." Ron paused, as though inviting Harry to answer. When it became obvious he wasn't going to, he went on. "We're on the same side. And we're family. I mean, literally family. Just literally, not the way we were before. Hermione's my children's mother, you're my nephews' and niece's father. So I'm here and I'll work with you on this. But we're not friends."

Harry was silent for a long time. "That's the best I'm going to get, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is,"Ron replied firmly.

Harry looked at him with regret, wondering if this could have been avoided. Probably not, he decided. Not without losing Hermione. Being with her had meant losing Ron. He'd known that for a long time and, when he'd finally been given a chance to act on his feelings for her, it hadn't been enough to stop him.

He heard someone clear their throat behind him and turned to see Seamus standing there. "Sorry to interrupt you both,"he remarked,"but you've got some visitors."

* * *

Harry and Ron followed Seamus into Harry's old office. Hermione, Neville and Luna were already there. And so, sitting together and looking slightly awkward, were James, Albus, Rose, Lily, Hugo, Martin, Emily and Scorpius.

James raised a hand in a self-conscious gesture of greeting. "Hi, Dad."

"Hi, Dad,"Rose echoed.

Harry stared at the group of children. "What are you doing here?"

"We used to live here,"Lily reminded him. "We used the floo network in Hogsmeade and the house was happy to let us in."

"Since when were second years allowed to visit Hogsmeade?"

"We smuggled them down there,"Martin explained proudly. "You'd be amazed how many secret passages we've found…" He noticed the annoyed looks the grown-ups were giving him and shut up.

"So was there a reason you came down here?"Ron asked.

"We figured trying to do this on our own got us into trouble last time,"Albus explained. "So we decided we'd come to you."

"Come to us with what?"Harry asked.

Albus looked at James. "You tell them."

"There's someone at Hogwarts,"James blurted out. "Maybe more than one someone."

"We already know that,"Seamus pointed out. "Because of Ernie being attacked."

"But I've seen more,"James maintained. "There was a woman on the Hogwarts Express, one I hadn't seen before. Or since. She seemed to be taking some sort of potion."

"Polyjuice potion?"Hermione suggested.

"I've heard of that,"Scorpius recalled.

Harry grinned. "We used it all the time when we were at school. So did other people, for that matter."

"It makes you change your appearance,"Hugo said quietly. Everyone looked at him, not used to him giving the explanations. He nodded towards Ron. "Dad told me the stories."

"Posing as Crabbe was an unforgettable experience,"Ron agreed.

"It's not just any appearance though,"Rose pointed out. "You need to look like a real person. And you need to get a sample of them. So if the woman James saw was disguised, she had to be disguised as someone."

"So it could be a simple spell and the potion was something else,"Emily added.

"It could still be doubles,"Luna argued, sounding slightly sulky.

"Do doubles use potions?"Emily asked her.

"Yes. They have to take sanguinem potion all the time or their bodies waste away."

"So, let's say there's plenty of options,"Harry interrupted hastily.

"What do you want us to do?"James asked.

"Stay out of it and let the adults handle it,"Hermione snapped.

Neville looked sideways at her. "Yeah, cos that always worked on us."

Harry looked at Ron, Hermione, Neville and Luna in turn. This affected their children as well as his. They all gave brief nods. "Keep your eyes open,"he told the children. "But stay out of trouble. If you've got anything to report, talk to Neville or Ernie. You know they're both in the Order. And try and make sure you don't get locked up in a dungeon, okay? You know how much trouble that causes."


	9. Chapter 9: Yuletide Traditions

**Sorry there's been a bit of a gap between updates, I was in Madeira for a week and only got back late on Monday so I've been pulling this one together since then.**

* * *

CHAPTER NINE: Yuletide Traditions

It was Christmas in the Potter household.

Somehow, that sentence had taken on a new meaning since the previous Christmas. For a start, it was a different house. For another, the people living in it were different. Not just the role call but even the members of the family who had been there a year earlier had been changed. James had locked himself in the sitting room for the best part of an hour so he could have a long chat with Emily. "And Martin", he'd hastily added, when requesting the privacy. Albus and Lily were in the front room, trying out all the new games they'd been given.

Rose and Hugo were spending Christmas Day with the Weaseleys, so the only other people in the house were Harry and Hermione. They were standing in the hallway, keeping a close ear out for any disturbance from the children. Every now and then, one of the two adults made a quick dash down the passage to the kitchen, just to make sure Christmas dinner hadn't burnt. Neither of them was really used to cooking it.

"I can't remember the last time we didn't spend Christmas with the Weaseleys,"Hermione remarked.

"Twenty-two years ago,"Harry replied absently.

A memory flashed through Hermione's mind, the church bells ringing in Christmas Day as they'd fled Godric's Hollow. Harry lying injured after his encounter with Nagini, her waiting for Christmas morning watching over him. In many ways, it seemed a lifetime ago. In other ways, they hadn't really come that far.

"Oh yes,"she acknowledged.

Harry's mind seemed more concentrated on the present than Christmas past and on the three children sharing the house with them. "They seem a bit quiet."

"I think they're happy,"Hermione reassured him.

"Do you?" Harry sounded concerned. "This isn't what they're used to, there's all sorts of Christmas traditions we used to have…"

Hermione put an arm round his shoulder. "We'll just have to start some new traditions. Yours and mine."

* * *

There was a large gathering at the Weaseleys'. At least, it was large by most families' standards: Molly and Arthur, Charles, Percy, George, Ron and Parvati, Victoire and Teddy, Rose and Hugo. But everyone was aware that there were faces missing.

"Would you cut the roast, Charles?"Molly suggested.

Charles got up awkwardly from his seat, suddenly promoted to the position of number one son. He took out his wand and began cutting the meat with a low level Severing Charm.

Molly nudged Arthur, who got up and raised his glass. "We all know it's been a hard year for us,"he noted. "And we all miss your parents, Victoire"-Teddy gripped Victoire's hand comfortingly and she smiled-"and we miss Ginny. But we're all here, as a family, and there will always be a place at this table for anyone who's family." He seemed to glance over at Rose and Hugo for a moment, as if he was going to say something further on that subject, but then thought better of it and turned his gaze to the rest of the table. "To family."

"To family,"the others echoed before taking a long drag of their drinks.

Molly began handing out the Christmas dinners. "Is that enough for you, Parvati dear?"she asked, heaping food onto the plate of her youngest son's new girlfriend.

Parvati gave a grateful smile. "Yes, thank you, Mrs. Weaseley."

"Oh call me Molly. After all, you're family now. It's nice that Ron's found himself a nice young lady at last."

"Yes, we're very glad to have you here,"Arthur interrupted hastily and Molly moved on to serving Rose and Hugo.

"Thank you for having us round, Grandma,"Victoire put in. "We kind of planned a Christmas on our own, with it being the first since we were married, but…"

"But we remembered we're both rubbish cooks,"Teddy added.

Molly smiled at them. "Oh, nonsense, family's always welcome. It's good that we've got all the important people here."

Ron looked sideways at Rose and Hugo, who both seemed to be looking down at their meals and trying to ignore what was going on around them. "Mum, can I talk to you in the kitchen?"he asked, pushing his chair away from the table and leaving the room.

Molly came after him, seeming slightly puzzled. "What's the matter?"

"Mum…can you stop?"

"Stop what?"

"All the comments about Hermione. I know you're just trying to stick up for me but it's hard enough getting Rose and Hugo used to everything as it is. She's still their mum, you can't make them hate her."

Molly was thrown by the comment. "I'm not trying to make them hate her. It's just…I've known Hermione and Harry since they were younger than Hugo and I loved them like they were my own children and now…you can't accept me to pretend nothing's happened."

"I know, Mum,"Ron said gently. "I feel the same way. But they're still family."

There was a sudden flash of anger in Molly's eyes. "They are not. They've given up that one."

"Well, what about Ginny's children? Are they not family?" Ron saw his mother falter and went on. "Because if you want to see them again, you have to get on with Harry and that means you have to get on with Hermione." And with those words, he went back to the family dinner, leaving Molly a lot less sure about things than she'd been when the conversation started.

* * *

Harry looked around the front room, his gaze sweeping across James, Albus and Lily, all looking as though they were feeling the after effects of a good Christmas dinner. He had to admit, he was quite pleased with the way it had turned out. Now it was time to begin another new Christmas tradition he'd thought of.

"All right, you three, time for a game of Quidditch in the back yard."

James looked at him curiously. "Isn't our back yard two fields?"

"Yes, so we should have plenty of space."

"I'm too full to play,"Lily moaned.

Harry grinned at her. "Come on, Lily, you need to work off that food. Otherwise, you won't fit into your school robes when you go back."

"Give me a moment to change and I'll come with you,"Hermione noted from behind him.

Harry looked at her in shock and took her out into the passage. "You're going to play Quidditch?"

"Well, why not? I've seen hundreds of games over the years."

"That doesn't mean you can play, though. You've never been that good at heights and…well, people are usually younger than you when they start playing."

Hermione widened her eyes in indignation. "Harry, are you suggesting I'm too old?"

Harry looked at her cautiously. "I'd never suggest that,"he said at last before turning back to the room where his children seemed to be trying to eavesdrop. "All right. James and Albus versus me and Lily, Hermione's in goal. Meet you outside in ten minutes."

* * *

Harry cast an anxious look at Hermione, who was wobbling slightly on a broom they'd found, in front of the three rings that constituted the goals. He had to admit, he still wasn't entirely sure that her playing with them was a good idea, at least on a practical level. But on another level, he knew why she'd offered: This was a family game and she was family.

Harry held the quaffle aloft. "Everyone ready?" James, Albus and Lily nodded. "Go!"

He threw the quaffle in the air and all four of them tried to grab it as it came down. James got his fingertips to it, knocking it away from everyone's grasp towards the ground. Albus and Lily both shot downwards to retrieve it. Albus knocked it upwards towards his brother. Harry tried to block the pass but James caught it. Albus swooped in under him and James made to make a return pass, but this time Lily managed to intercept the ball as it travelled between them.

"Yours, Dad!"she called, throwing it to Harry. He caught it, weaving around James who was trying to block his path to goal. He saw Hermione biting her lip nervously in anticipation of a shot and, noticing Lily swooping up towards goal, threw the ball to her. At least she'd have a reasonably soft throw if she shot.

Instead, it was James who scooped the ball out of Lily's grasp and hurled it towards the goal. Swallowing hard, Hermione flew to her left, stretched out an arm and parried the shot away. She smiled in relief, despite the stinging sensation in her arm, but forgot to concentrate on her balance. Her body continued turning to her left and, as she passed the horizontal point, her legs lost their grip on the broom and she fell.

Even though she was only ten feet off the ground, she hit the earth with a thud and a groan of pain.

Four Potters landed in a more conventional manner and James, Albus and Lily ran over to her. "You all right, Auntie Hermione?"Albus asked.

Hermione winced. "I think it's my dignity bruised more than anything."

It was Lily who started it. Looking at Hermione trying to stay calm and poised while sprawled in a heap, she started giggling and soon it developed into a full-blown laugh. Hermione tried to glare at her but couldn't help it: She started laughing too. James and Albus grinned at each other and laughed. Then the three children helped Hermione to her feet.

Harry watched them from a distance: His children and the woman he loved, suddenly looking like a family. From the look Hermione gave him, she knew as well as he did that was worth a few bumps.

And it was almost enough to take his mind off the business with the Order.


	10. Chapter 10: The End of the Holiday

CHAPTER TEN: The End of the Holiday

James had felt obliged to go to the Gryffindor common room when he first got back to Hogwarts. He'd stayed there for a while, sharing a few jokes with Martin and Albus, but as soon as he felt he could get away with it he'd made himself scarce and headed out through the portrait. After all, the person he really wanted to see wasn't in there.

After that, his plan seemed to consist of wandering the corridors aimlessly, in the hope of accidentally bumping into a certain person. He was well aware that it wasn't the most scientific of methods. But then, it wasn't like he had a map telling him where everyone was.

Fortunately, about five minutes into his wandering the corridors, he saw a familiar blonde-haired figure sat on a bench in one of the quadrangles. "Emily!"he called out, hurrying towards her. He stopped in front of her… and then realised he didn't know what to say next.

Emily looked up at him and gave one of those smiles which seemed to give him butterflies. "Hello, James. How was your Christmas?"

James nodded. "Good, yeah. What about yours?"

"Mum took us to Gran Canaria because she'd heard there were heliopaths hiding in the caves there. We didn't find any but we did have a nice holiday."

James was silent for a long while before he realised Emily was expecting him to say something back. "We played Quidditch,"he managed at last.

"Oh, you're lucky being able to play during the holidays. I can only practise when we're here. Mind you, Kamal's making the team do extra practise every week now." She gave a sudden smile. "Don't tell him I said that, will you? He'll think you're a Gryffindor spy."

"Of course not,"James answered, whilst some part of his brain made a note to let Damon know as soon as possible.

Emily checked her watch. "I'd better go, I've got Transfiguration in five minutes."

As she gathered up her books and headed towards the entrance to one of the corridors, James cursed the fact that once more he was no closer to asking her out. If only he could think of some reason, some event… "Valentine's Day!" The idea was so obvious when it hit him that he wondered why he hadn't thought of it before.

Then he realised that Emily, and everyone in the quadrangle, was looking at him and realised he'd spoken out loud.

"What?"Emily asked.

"Valentine's Day,"he replied, deciding to make a virtue of it now he'd opened his mouth. "We've got a free day at Hogsmeade then."

"Yes, I know we have."

"The Hog's Head is offering free meals for couples. I was wondering if you fancy going." James worried suddenly he was being a bit forward. "I mean, it's free food…"

"I'd like that,"Emily confirmed. She gave him an amused look. "You do know it's a month until Valentine's Day?"

James flushed slightly. "I just thought we'd be better off making plans now."

* * *

Scorpius was sitting in the library, peering over the top of his book surreptitiously, casting his eyes around the various students who were selecting books from the shelves. "What are you doing?"Rose asked from behind him.

Scorpius shot her an annoyed look. "What James said. Keeping an eye out for strange goings on."

"I hardly think someone's going to suddenly metamorphose in the middle of the library."

Scorpius shrugged. "Thought it was worth a chance."

Rose sat down at the table with him. "How was Christmas?"

"Okay. I spent it with Mum's family."

"Hugo and I were with Dad's family. We went to Mum and Uncle Harry for New Year. We're going to spend Easter with them then go to Dad afterwards."

"Oh." Scorpius lowered his eyes slightly.

"Is something wrong with that?"

"No. Nothing wrong." Scorpius picked up his books. "You're right, I'm wasting my time here. I'll go and study in the common room."

* * *

Harry cleared his throat before addressing the members of the Order that had managed to make the inprompru meeting he'd called: Ron, Hermione, Luna, Seamus, Parvati, Padma, George, Percy, Oliver, Angelina, Katie, Hannah, Cho and Michael. "Well, we've all had a break over Christmas and the world hasn't ended yet, which is good. So, has anyone got anything to report?"

He looked around the crowd hopefully. Most of them just shuffled their feet and looked downwards. "We've been looking for weird stuff,"Seamus said at last. "But we haven't seen any."

"You didn't exactly give us the easiest brief, Harry,"Oliver pointed out. "We're basically looking for people who could look like anyone."

"They could be one of us,"Hannah added, before shooting a nervous look around the group.

"We didn't even find any heliopaths,"Luna noted sadly. Harry decided not to ask.

"The Ministry's setting up all sort of anti-intruder stuff,"Ron revealed. "It's all a bit hush-hush."

"That's a good start,"Harry agreed.

"We've been keeping an eye on the news,"Padma added. "But there haven't been any disappearances reported."

"Or any more attacks,"Cho put in.

Harry sighed. "Okay, well, I guess all I can say is that you should just keep on doing what you're doing."

"There is someone who might know something,"Hermione pointed out.

"Who's that?"Harry asked, eager for any clue.

"The Death Eaters."

There was a general feeling of this being a let down. "So how does that help?"George asked. "You think we should go and see them and ask what their evil plan is?"

"Why not?" Hermione looked at Harry. "I can think of one of them who might talk to you."

* * *

Harry had asked the warders at Azkaban for a private meeting. The usual visiting area was empty aside from Harry and two guards, wands at their ready but a discreet distance away, as Romilda Vane was brought in. She smiled as she saw him. "Hello, Harry."

Harry forced himself to return the smile. "Hello, Romilda."

She took the seat opposite him. "I'm surprised you came to see me."

He gently stroked her hand, ignoring the slight twist in his stomach as he did so. "I thought maybe you could help me."

"Well, how can I do that?"

"Do you speak much to the Death Eaters who were captured with you?"

Romilda tried to look innocent. "Well, I never really liked them. I only joined up with them because you never paid any attention to me."

"Oh, that's a shame." Harry tried to keep his tone light and flirtatious. "I thought maybe you could tell me what they were talking about."

"Well what do you want to know?"

"Whether they're in contact with anyone on the outside, whether they're involved in anything." Sometimes you had to be direct. "Whether they're planning to escape."

Romilda laughed. "Come on, Harry, everyone knows Azkaban's escape proof. None of us can use magic. The only way we could get out is if someone opened the doors and let us go."

Her words should have reassured Harry. But something about the way she said them meant that he was suddenly even more worried.


	11. Chapter 11: The Face of the Enemy

CHAPTER ELEVEN: The Face of the Enemy

It was after dark and James was walking the corridors of Hogwarts alone. It was something he'd taken to doing recently, ever since his father had agreed to them helping the Order with their investigation. Like Harry, he was painfully aware of the lack of progress that had been made and if a few moonlit patrols helped out, then he was prepared to risk the consequences of detention and points loss if anyone found out what he was doing.

He was preparing to give it up for the night and return to the dormitory when he caught a glimpse of movement out of one of the windows. There was a figure crossing the courtyard, covered in a dark green cloak, coming from the direction of Hogsmeade and heading towards the school.

James bounded down the stairs to the entrance hall. He heard footsteps on the stone floor, heading his way, and looked around for a hiding place. His eyes alighted on a suit of armour and he took refuge behind it, peering at the doorway where the sound of approaching footsteps was coming from.

The green cloaked figure came into view, stopped and looked about. James shrank into his hiding place even further. Not seeing him, the figure threw back its hood and it was all James could do not to gasp. It was the blonde-haired woman he'd seen on the Hogwarts Express.

The woman made to move along the hallway but she'd only gone a few steps before she stopped suddenly and gave a groan. Her face began to contort in silent agony. And then it began to change. As James watched in astonishment, she transformed into a completely different woman. She was shorter, although still fairly tall. She looked older as well, her hair was now dark with traces of grey. She looked about her again and then quickened her pace, pulling the hood of her cloak over her head again as she did so.

James waited until she was out of sight, afraid that any movement might attract her attention. He considered following her, seeing where she went, but he was worried of discovery and the consequences of it, consequences that he feared would be far more than detention. He needed to get the information to someone. And so he ran in the direction of the Gryffindor common room.

* * *

James ran into the head of house's room and shook Neville's shoulder urgently. "Professor Longbottom! Professor Longbottom!"

Neville blinked awake and stared at him. "James, what are you doing?"

"I saw her!"

"What, saw who?"

"The woman from the train, I saw her here! In Hogwarts! Except then she changed and she was someone else."

Neville was beginning to realise that this was something important. "There's someone here in Hogwarts?" James nodded. "Okay, tell me exactly what happened."

James recounted everything as best as he could remember, Neville listening intently. "I don't know where she went,"he concluded.

"You're sure you didn't know her?"

"No, I've never seen her before."

"She could still be here."

"Yeah but she could look like anyone."

"We've still got to look." Neville pulled a dressing gown on and grabbed his wand. "I'm going to tell Professor Slughorn. You go to the dormitory. I'll call you if I need you."

* * *

"Neville says they searched the school for two hours,"Harry told Hermione the next morning. "Hagrid even led a party out into the forest to check there was no-one around there."

"So the intruder had gone?"Hermione asked.

"The intruder could look like _anyone_. It's hard to tell. It's a shame James didn't recognise her…" Harry's thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. "I'll get that."

Harry's mind was still full of images of shapeshifting people sneaking around the magical world as he made his way to the door, so he hadn't really thought about what to expect to find on the other side. Even if he had done, he doubted he would have been right. He was greeted by the sight of Molly Weasley standing on his doorstep. "Hello, Harry,"she greeted him curtly.

Hermione came through from the kitchen and stopped when she saw their visitor. "Mrs. Weasley."

Molly raised an eyebrow. "Well, it's been a long time since you've called me that." She gestured to Harry, who was standing in the doorway, directly in front of her. "Can I come in?"

Harry nodded, feeling like a schoolboy receiving a visit from his girlfriend's mother. Which, he acknowledged, was what he had been to her a long time ago. He stepped aside, allowing her in. "Er, what can we do for you?"

"I just thought I should come and see the house when my grandchildren are living."

Hermione cleared her throat. "Well, this is the hallway. Obviously. Their bedrooms are upstairs, perhaps you'd like to see them..?" Appearing oblivious to her talk, Molly wandered into the front room. Hermione sighed. "Or maybe you'd like to see in there."

Harry and Hermione followed Molly in. Harry felt Hermione slip her hand into his and squeezed it gratefully. Molly was examining the two photographs on the mantelpiece: The one of Harry and Ginny with their children, taken the summer before last just before Lily's first term at Hogwarts, and next to it the one of Harry, Hermione and all the children, taken the following year while Rose and Hugo had been staying with them.

Molly turned to face the couple. "Yes, this all looks very nice." She was wringing her hands and Harry had the sudden oddest feeling that she was as nervous as they were. "We missed… the children at Christmas."

Harry found the declaration somewhat odd but decided to go with it. "They missed you too."

"Perhaps… you could bring them along next year?"

Harry looked at Hermione and saw that, like him, she was starting to smile. "That's a good idea," Hermione said at last.

Molly didn't smile. Not quite. But she did seem to relax a bit. "Well… I'll see myself out then." She carefully eased her way past them back out into the hallway and they heard the front door shut behind her.

"What just happened?"Hermione asked.

Harry put an arm round her shoulder and kissed the side of her head. "I think our lives just became a bit less complicated."


	12. Chapter 12: My Valentine

**Firstly, my heartfelt thanks to anyone who's left a review since my last update, I really do like to know what people think of this story. Hope you all keep reading!**

* * *

CHAPTER TWELVE: My Valentine

James nervously held out Emily's seat for her and she gave him a kindly smile as she sat in it. He took the seat opposite her before glancing around the Hog's Head. The inn was slightly more upmarket than it had been during their parents' time at Hogwarts: The current landlord, Ephias Willow, had inherited it from the former owner Aberforth Dumbledore, a distant cousin, and the Valentine's promotion was his latest attempt to attract more customers.

Ephias stood next to the young couple, his quill ready to take their orders. "Do you want drinks first?"he asked.

"I'll just have a water, thank you,"Emily requested.

Ephias sniffed and looked at James. "You'll have the same, I suppose?"

"I'll have a butterbeer,"James told him. Ephias sniffed almost as much at the request. James looked across at Emily. "The steak looks quite nice,"he suggested.

Emily nodded. "Whatever you think."

"Two steaks,"Ephias replied huffily. "They'll be about ten minutes." He stalked back off in the direction of the kitchen.

Emily looked back at James. "It was a good idea of yours to come here. I mean, the meal. We might as well take advantage of the offer…"

"That wasn't why I asked you,"James blurted out before he could stop himself. Emily's expression didn't change and he wondered if she'd got the message. "I mean, I asked you here because, well, because…I wanted to be here with you…"

"I know,"she replied simply.

He looked at her suspiciously. "You do?"

"All those times you were looking for excuses to spend time with me…well, I was looking for excuses to spend time with you too."

James wasn't quite sure if he was hearing what he thought he was but he could feel his nerve failing him and knew it was now or never. "Will you go out with me?"he asked.

"I am out with you,"Emily fired back teasingly.

"I mean…regularly."

Emily reached a hand across the table and James tentatively grasped it. "I'd like that,"she agreed.

Elphias placed two glasses on the table loudly. "One butterbeer and one water. Steak'll be here when it's ready."

* * *

"This has got to be the worst trip to Hogsmeade ever,"Martin complained as he walked through the streets with Albus and Owen.

Owen nodded in agreement. "Everything's for those Valentine's couples. Like anyone would be lame enough to go in for one of those couples offers."

Albus reddened slightly. He'd actually been planning to ask out Ariane Jordan, one of his classmates, but unfortunately Robert Deeling from Ravenclaw had got in first and he'd last seen them happily ensconced at one of the village's tea shops. "Do you know where Jame is?"he asked.

Martin shook his head. "I looked for him before we left school but couldn't find him. Maybe he's back doing research on his shapeshifter theory. At least when we get back we can tell him we didn't miss much."

"Just don't tell Lily,"Albus warned him. "I've heard enough of her complaining about how we can go on these trips and she can't as it is."

Owen nodded in the direction of the Hog's Head. "Hey, do you want to take a peak in there, see who's dating who? They'll be in for some real ribbing when they get back."

Martin bounded over eagerly, the two younger boys behind him, and pushed the door open. He glanced around the room, making a mental note of all the couples sat at tables…then stopped as his eyes rested on James and Emily. The pair seemed to be trying to eat one-handed, since their other hands were still intertwined with each other. "That's my sister!"he protested.

"That's my brother,"Albus added.

"And, er, that's your cousin,"Owen pointed out, nodding towards the table where Rose and Scorpius were sitting.

"This is seriously messed up,"Albus sighed.

* * *

Although she was unaware that Albus had seen her, Rose kept shooting looks over at James and Emily. "I think they're too busy looking at each other to notice us,"she decided eventually.

"Is that good?"Scorpius asked cautiously.

"It's about time. I thought they'd never get their act together."

Scorpius gave a brief sigh of relief. "How's your meal?"

"It's good, thanks,"Rose confirmed, taking another sip of her gillywater. "And the company's nice as well."

Scorpius looked at her cautiously. "Do you mean that?"

Rose looked serious. "Scorpius…there isn't anyone I'd rather be here with."

"Good." Scorpius took a deep breath. "Because there's something I've been meaning to ask you."

* * *

Parvati cuddled up to Ron in bed. "What are you thinking?"

Ron smiled slightly. "That having today off was a good idea."

"You won't get any arguments from me there."

"Do you mind if I do something really cheesy?"

"Go on."

Ron picked up his wand from his bedside table and pointed it towards the open door. "_Accio balloon_."

Parvati gave a delighted smile as a heart emblazoned helium balloon floated in. She grasped hold of the string as it reached her. "Ron!"she gasped.

"Sorry it's a bit naff but I wasn't really sure what level we were at Valentine's present-wise."

"It's a lovely thought,"she confirmed, kissing him.

"Do you think it'll stay in the room if you let go of it?"

"Why would I let go of it?"

With a grin, Ron pulled her beneath the covers and the balloon drifted out of her hand towards the ceiling.

* * *

Hermione smelt the faint whiff of burning as she arrived home. "Harry?"she called out cautiously.

"In here!"Harry called through from the kitchen.

She entered to find the table set out for a meal for two, with a pair of candles in the centre. The only thing spoiling the romantic effect was the large cloud of smoke hovering above the cooker. Harry was waving his wand in its direction, slowly driving it out through an open window, while still trying to look at her in a revelatory manner.

"Non-verbal magic,"she commented. "I'm impressed."

Harry gave an embarrassed smile. "I think I left it cooking a bit too long. It should be all right though. A few tenderising spells to soften it up and I've cut off most of the burnt bits."

Hermione smiled at him. "It was very thoughtful of you."

"I just thought…our first Valentine's together, I should do something special."

She walked up to him until they were almost touching. "Harry, I love it. Burnt bits or otherwise. I love _you_."

And then they kissed each other, passionately, caressing each other's bodies with their hands as they also caressed each other's lips. "I'm really feeling like an early night right now,"Hermione noted in between kisses. "Why did we buy a house where the bedroom's so far away?"

Harry took a pace back from the embrace. "Um, Hermione."

"Yes, Harry."

He nodded towards the cooker. "I've taken up a lot of time with this."

Hermione smiled with understanding and sat down at the table. Harry lit the candles with an _Incendio_ charm.

"We can have an early night later,"he added.

* * *

Hermione woke up the next morning to find herself lying in Harry's arms. She gave a slight smile to herself. The morning after Valentine's Day. It needed a better name than that. Maybe Post-Valentine's Morn. That was quite poetic…

She was interrupted by a tapping on the bedroom window. She squinted in the sunlight and saw a white owl sitting on the window sill, a letter in its beak.

She slipped out of bed and pulled on a gown before opening up the window. The owl allowed her to take the letter from its beak. She recognised it as one of the Hogwarts owls. "Thank you,"she told it, stroking the top of its head slightly. The owl gave a slight squawk of appreciation then flew down to the perch in the back garden.

Harry, awoken by her movement, sat up in bed. "What is it?"he asked.

Hermione slit the letter open and read its contents. "It's from Rose,"she replied. "She wants me and Ron to go to Hogwarts to see her. She says there's something she needs to talk to us about."


	13. Chapter 13: New Arrangements

**Firstly, my thanks to anyone who's posted a comment/review since my last chapter, please keep them coming, I like knowing what you think!**

* * *

CHAPTER THIRTEEN: New Arrangements

Ron and Hermione sat in an empty classroom, about a foot apart, studiously avoiding looking at each other, neither of them quite knowing what to say. When Rose came in and took a seat opposite them, it was hard not to breathe a sigh of relief.

"I'm sorry you had to wait,"she noted. "I wanted to get out of class but I spoke to Professor Longbottom and Professor Slughorn and they said I had to wait until I had a free period…"

"Rose, what's all this about?"Ron interrupted.

Rose gulped hard. "It's about Easter. You know, the holidays are coming up in a few weeks and I was supposed to be spending them with you and then you." She nodded first to Hermione and then to Ron.

"So?"Hermione asked.

"Well, do you mind if I spend them somewhere else?"

Ron looked at her in confusion. "Where?"

"Um… Scorpius has asked me to spend them with his family."

* * *

Harry was sat outside the classroom. He had accompanied Hermione to the school but they had both agreed she and Ron should talk to Rose alone. He raised an eyebrow as he heard Ron shouting something inside the classroom but decided that Hermione and Rose would be able to handle it.

"Hello again, Mr. Potter,"a voice greeted him.

Harry turned to find Melinda walking down the corridor. He nodded politely to her. "Professor Havelock." He expected her to walk on but instead she stayed where she was. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"I just had a feeling that whatever Miss Weasley wanted to discuss with her parents might involve one of my house."

Harry smiled. "You may well be right." He looked at her curiously. There was something oddly familiar about her. "Have we met before?"

"At the Quidditch match, when Professor Macmillan was attacked."

"No, before that. When we were both pupils here?"

"I was two years below you. I was in the Great Hall when You-Know-Who tried to get the school to hand you over. Then Pansy Parkinson said we should do it and Professor McGonagall ordered us all out. Of course, I was underage so I'd have had to have gone anyway."

Harry shifted uncomfortably. "Right."

"Spent my first year sleeping in there because everyone thought Sirius Black was coming to kill you. All this talk of intruders in the school, it's starting to seem like the bad old days."

"Well,"Harry replied awkwardly,"I hope it's not going to come to that."

* * *

"The Malfoys!"Ron erupted for about the fifth time since he'd begun his tirade. "Why on earth would you want to spend your holiday with the Malfoys?"

Hermione decided it was time to interrupt. "Technically, it's not the Malfoys,"she pointed out. "I mean, it's just Scorpius and his mother. The rest of them are in Azkaban."

"Is that meant to make me feel better? Even Astoria…" Ron stopped himself. In truth, aside from the fact she obviously had an appalling taste in men if she married Draco, he didn't know much about Astoria. He knew she'd been in Slytherin, which the logical part of his mind knew he shouldn't hold against her but, however many times Harry had pointed out over the years that Snape had come good in the end and even the Malfoys cared about each other, he couldn't help the instinctive mistrust he had of the house.

He was suddenly aware both Hermione and Rose were looking at him, expecting him to go on. He turned to Hermione. "Can I speak to our daughter alone?" Hermione shot a querying look at Rose, who nodded, and quietly left the room. Ron turned back to his daughter. "Do you really want to spend the holiday with this boy? Tell me the truth, not want you think I want to hear."

Rose took a deep breath. "Yes,"she said at last. "I like him, Dad, and… and he hasn't really got anyone except for his mother and… I don't think he's happy with it just being the two of them."

Ron smiled at her. "You're a good girl, Rose." She blushed slightly and he smiled even more. "Yeah, I know that's not what you want to hear from your dad but you are. You see he needs a friend so you're being that friend."

Rose was surprised at the turn of the conversation and suddenly hopeful. "So… I can stay with him?"

Ron sighed. "Well, I'm going to miss you. I was looking forward to us all spending time together. But I wouldn't be much of a father if I didn't encourage you to do what you thought was right, would I?"

* * *

Hermione had been talking with Harry and Melinda when Ron came out and said Rose wanted to see her. She nervously re-entered the room, unsure exactly what was on her daughter's mind. "How did things go with your dad?"

"He said I can go,"Rose answered. "So long as it's all right with you."

Hermione looked at her carefully. "Scorpius means a lot to you, doesn't he?"

Rose lowered her eyes slightly. "He's a friend."

Hermione decided to take the risk. "Are you sure that's all it is?"

She could see Rose getting defensive. "What do you mean?"

"I was just thinking about when I was at school, all the holidays I spent with your dad and his family. I always used to tell my parents he was just a friend." She gave a hopeful smile and was pleased to see Rose gave a reluctant smile back. "Of course you can stay with him."

* * *

The Hogwarts Express drew into King's Cross. The pupils could see their parents waiting on the platform, ready to take them home for the Easter holidays. "That's my mum,"Scorpius pointed out, gesturing to the dark-haired woman Rose remembered seeing the previous year, when she'd come to collect him after their escape from Riddle Mansion.

Rose gave a brief nod. "You're sure she's all right with me staying?"

"Yes, she said it would be nice for me to have a friend around."

They descended from the carriage. Rose noticed Harry and Hermione there, waiting to pick up the others, and was surprised to see Ron there as well, beaming broadly. "Dad! What are you doing here?"

Ron enveloped her in a hug. "Well, I'm not going to spend much time with you this holiday so I thought I'd come down here and catch a glimpse."

Rose smiled. "It's good to see you."

"You too." Ron released her and patted Hugo on the shoulder. "Hey, son. Be good for your mum and Uncle Harry and I'll see you in a week."

Neville had clambered down off the train and Luna seemed to be giving him a long "Welcome home" kiss. Emily gave a slight smile at her parents before turning to James. "So, guess it'll be two weeks before we see each other."

"I'll owl you,"James promised. "And…and we can talk by the floo network."

Emily nodded. "That'll be nice." She hesitated and then she planted a kiss on James' lips. He was stunned for a moment, then he moved into the kiss, feeling the taste of her mouth.

Martin rolled his eyes. "Great, now they're all doing it."

"It's getting a bit predictable,"Albus agreed.

Harry cleared his throat. "James, we do need to get going."

James backed out of the kiss, blushing slightly, and saw Emily redden as well. But like him, she couldn't stop smiling. He glanced round at the onlookers: Harry looking at him with a sense of pride, Hermione with a knowing look, Albus sighing deeply and Lily open-mouthed.

"Right, James, Albus, Lily, Hugo, to the car,"Harry declared. "Before there's any more drama."

Hermione cast one last look at Rose, as she and Scorpius walked hand in hand over to where Astoria was waiting. For all her enthusiasm, she couldn't help wondering exactly what was waiting for her daughter at Malfoy Mansion.


	14. Chapter 14: Missing Relatives

**My thanks once again for any reviews received, please keep them coming, I like to hear what you think.**

* * *

CHAPTER FOURTEEN:Missing Relatives

Albus made his way quietly along the landing to where he could see a faint glow underneath the door. He'd checked the other rooms as he'd passed them and was sure that everyone else in the house was asleep. The rest of the family were obviously content: His father was happy with Aunt Hermione, James was probably still gobsmacked by the kiss Emily had given him and Lily had been bouncing off the walls enough to tire herself out as usual. Which just left one person.

Albus knocked on the door, waited for a moment, then cautiously pushed it open. Hugo was lying on his side in bed, reading a Herbology textbook. Albus glanced around the bedroom, taking in the Quidditch posters, the old family photos of Hugo with his sister and his parents and a rather large picture of a popular witch band that he couldn't imagine Hermione being too happy about her son idolising.

"Can't sleep?"Albus asked lightly.

Hugo shrugged. "They say it's like that when you're not used to the bed."

"You were here at New Year,"Albus reminded him. Hugo just shrugged in reply. "At least you don't have to share a room with me this time."

Hugo managed a slight smile. "Yeah, that's true."

Albus sat down on Hugo's trunk and looked at his cousin with concern. "Guess it can't be easy being here without Rose."

Hugo gave up the pretense of reading. "It's all right for you, you've got all your family here."

"Your mum's here,"Albus reminded him.

"But Dad isn't! You don't understand…" Hugo suddenly stopped, realising who he was talking to. They lapsed into silence for a moment. "Do you miss your mum?"Hugo asked at last.

Albus nodded. "All the time. We all do. I guess it's different for us, we can't go back. So having a new family doesn't feel as bad."

Hugo thought about this. "Mum and Dad aren't getting back together, are they?"

"I don't think they are, no. I think…"

"You think she loves Uncle Harry." Hugo bit his lip slightly. "Me too."

"On the plus side, it means you get me as a big brother,"Albus pointed out. Hugo smiled at that. Albus got to his feet. "I'd get some sleep. You might need some energy for tomorrow."

* * *

Rose had woken up in quite possibly the biggest bed she'd ever seen. She still hadn't quite got over the shock of arriving at Malfoy Manor. She'd visited the Riddle family home the previous year, when she and her friends had been captured by Rodolphus Lestrange's Death Eaters, but this was even bigger. The shock was compounded further by the presence of half a dozen servants, one of whom had actually offered to help her get dressed. She'd politely declined the young woman, before putting one of the dresses she'd brought with her on and heading downstairs.

One of the manservants directed her into the dining room where she found Scorpius waiting. He seemed to be dressing much more smartly at home than he did at Hogwarts, which left her feeling slightly underdressed. He was standing next to one of three places set up at one end of the long table. "We're waiting for Mum,"he explained.

Rose nodded. "Is she making breakfast?"

Scorpius tried to cover up his surprise at the question but failed. "No, Martha does that. She's one of the servants,"he added, noticing Rose's curious look. "She's related to the Bulstrodes, about four generations back."

It seemed that everything Rose discovered about this world surprised her. "All the servants are witches and wizards?"

Scorpius nodded. "Most of the servants nowadays are from families who've been servants to purebloods for generations. They're all descended from purebloods if you go back far enough but their ancestors married half-bloods and so it was the only way the stricter houses would let them stay with the families. The stable manager's a distant cousin of mine, we've got the same great-great-great-great-grandparents or something."

Rose looked awkward. "They're not going to make me clean the floors, are they? I mean, they know my mum's muggle-born…"

Scorpius gave a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, no-one believes that anymore." He hesitated. "At least, most people don't."

They were interrupted by the appearance of Astoria, who greeted her house guest with a smile. "Good morning, Rose. Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, thank you, Mrs. Malfoy." Rose had been slightly intimidated by Astoria when first meeting her but the older woman had been nothing but pleasant towards her and towards everyone else in the house, which had caused her to relax a bit. "You have a nice house."

"Well, it's not exactly mine, but it'll all be Scorpius' some day." Astoria gestured them to sit as two servants entered levitating their meals, which landed neatly on the mats in front of them. She glanced at Scorpius. "By the way, I've been talking to your grandfather again about dissolving the marriage bond between your father and I. He's spoken to the elders and they're confident that your father's use of an Unforgiveable Curse will mean there are no problems."

Scorpius gave the same awkward, downcast look that Rose gave every time someone mentioned her own parents' separation. "Yes, Mum,"he said quietly.

"So we'll soon be rid of that lot,"Astoria concluded. "And all the better for it."

Her tone was light but Rose was shocked all the same. Her parents had never spoken about each other like that in her hearing and, looking at the hurt expression on Scorpius' face that his mother seemed oblivious to, she was suddenly very grateful for that. Because like Scorpius, whatever had happened, she realised she still loved both of them.

* * *

Albus and Hugo were tucking into their bowls of cereal in the kitchen when Lily came bounding in. "Hugo, Hugo! Dad says we can have a go on the Quidditch pitch today! He even says he'll play with us. You didn't get a chance at Christmas so you need to have a go now." She suddenly seemed to notice her brother was there. "Um, you can play too, Albus."

"What about James?"Albus asked.

Lily pulled a face. "He's in the front room talking with Emily over the floo network."

Albus rolled his eyes. "He only saw her yesterday."

"So will you, Hugo?"Lily continued.

Hugo had never been as energetic as his cousin but he found her enthusiasm infectious. "When can we start?"

"As soon as you get changed."

Hugo hurried through the last of his breakfast and ran for the stairs. He was back down in five minutes, when he ran into Harry and Hermione in the hallway. "I hear you're joining us,"Harry noted.

Hugo nodded before turning to Hermione. "Are you playing, Mum?"

Hermione winced. "I'm still a walking bruise from the last time." Hugo's face fell slightly and Hermione smiled. "But maybe you can show me a few pointers."

Hugo grinned and took his mother's hand.

"We'll be buying you your own broom at this rate,"Harry told her.

* * *

Rose was used to a large garden. Her grandparents' place was fairly secluded, as was the house where she'd lived with her parents and where her father still lived. And from the little time she'd spent there at New Year, her mother and Uncle Harry seemed to have got somewhere equally remote. But none of them compared to the expansive grounds of the Malfoy residence.

She'd been walking for five minutes when she came across Scorpius sat on some steps. He was looking oddly miserable and for a moment she considered pretending she hadn't seen him and leaving him to his privacy. In the end, she smoothed down her dress and sat down next to him. "Is this about your parents getting a divorce?"she asked. He shrugged slightly. "I understand, I mean, it's hard hearing my parents talking like that…"

"You still see both your parents,"Scorpius pointed out.

"Yes,"she admitted.

Scorpius was silent for a moment. "I miss my dad,"he said at last. "I know he did some bad stuff but still…I miss him."

"You can visit him surely?"

Scorpius nodded back at the house. "Mum wouldn't agree."

"Have you ever asked her? I can back you up if you'd like." She took a deep breath. "I could even go with you if you're worried about going on your own."

Scorpius looked at her in surprise. "Would you?"

In truth, the thought of going to Azkaban, a prison whose name still inspired a great deal of fear despite the conditions having been improved in the last twenty years, struck a large amount of fear in Rose's heart. But she didn't tell Scorpius that. She just nodded.


	15. Chapter 15: Family Reunion

**My thanks once again to anyone who's left a review. Please keep reading and keep commenting!**

* * *

CHAPTER FIFTEEN: Family Reunion

Rose looked around the chamber awkwardly. It had taken nearly a week to persuade Astoria to let them go and then to get the necessary clearances. And standing there, feeling the cold oppressive nature of the place, she was beginning to wish they hadn't.

The Azkaban warden was casting a charm over them, making sure they didn't have anything concealed on their bodies that they shouldn't have. Finally, he gave a satisfied nod but as Rose stepped forward with Scorpius, he held up a hand and looked at her. "Not you."

Rose was thrown. "What?"

"The prisoner's only agreed to see his son. Not you."

"But I said I'd go with him!"Rose protested.

The warden just stared at her, stony-faced, unmoved by the comment.

Scorpius turned to her. "Can you wait here?" He looked back at the warden. "Is that all right?"

The warden gave a nod of confirmation.

"Are you sure?"Rose asked him.

"Yeah, I'll be okay,"Scorpius confirmed but he still sounded nervous.

Rose hugged him, wishing she could do more. When she released him, he followed the warden through to the visiting area.

* * *

The room was bare except for a single table and two chairs. Four wardens lined the walls, wands drawn, which Scorpius felt was a bit excessive. He'd had to hand his own wand to a warden before being allowed in. He'd pointed out that underage magic was illegal but the wardens had ignored him. They were probably thinking that jailbreaks were illegal as well.

Draco came through from the opposite door. It was the first time Scorpius had seen his father in nearly a year and he was shocked at what he saw. Draco's face seemed thinner, as if he'd lost weight. His hair seemed darker, as if blackened by dirt and lack of sunlight. But he still gave him a smile as he approached. "Thanks for coming,"he said quietly.

"I'm sorry I didn't come earlier,"Scorpius apologised,"but Mum…" He trailed off, unsure how to continue.

"She didn't want you coming?"Draco prompted.

"Not exactly, it's just…she didn't want to come."

"Yeah, I heard that." Draco nodded towards the guards. "They told me you brought that Weasley girl with you. You're still friends with that lot?"

Scorpius felt somehow uncomfortable at the question. "Yes."

Draco shrugged. "Well, I was never much good at picking friends. Maybe you'll do better than me." He suddenly gripped Scorpius' hands intensely. "I'm going to make sure you live with me again, Scorpius. That's what you want, isn't it?"

Scorpius was somewhat thrown by the question. "But…you're in here."

"Yeah but…I won't always be. I mean, I could be paroled in two or three years, your grandfather's got people working on it. And when I do, you'll want to live with me, right?"

Scorpius thought about this. "Rose's parents live apart and she splits her time between them. Maybe I could do that with you and Mum?"

"Sure, sure,"Draco agreed. "So long as you're with me."

* * *

It seemed like only a few days since the Potters had lasted visited King's Cross but the Easter holidays were over. Harry and Hermione walked at the back of the family with Lily at the front, running up and down the platform and encouraging the others to move faster, while James and Albus travelled at a more sedate pace between them.

"Mum! Uncle Harry!" The shout came from Hugo, who was waiting at the platform with Ron and Parvati, having spent the last part of the holidays with them. He ran to Hermione and hugged her.

Hermione smiled, surprised and delighted at the gesture. "Hello again, Hugo. Did you have a good time at your dad's?"

"I think you two have created a monster,"Ron noted. "He wanted us to play Quidditch with him every day. Good job I've got all those friends who let me use their stadiums."

James noticed Martin and Emily with Neville and Luna further along the platform and went over to the family. "Hi, Emily,"he greeted his…girlfriend? He remembered the feel of her lips against his the last time they'd stood on the platform and hesitated for a moment before kissing her again.

Emily blushed slightly. "Hello, James."

"Oh, don't mind me,"Martin muttered. "I'm only your best friend."

Luna patted him on the shoulder absent-mindedly. "Don't worry, you'll understand one day."

Rose and Scorpius appeared with Astoria. "One Weasley returned safely,"Astoria noted. "Despite the day trip to Azkaban."

Rose noticed Ron seemed to be on the verge of another outburst. "It's not as bad as it sounds,"she told him.

"Thanks for having her,"Hermione interjected hastily. "We'll have to return the favour and have Scorpius some time."

"Or we will,"Ron added pointedly.

Astoria straightened her son's collar. "Now, I'm expecting to receive a letter from your new head of house telling me what a good year you've had. What's her name again?"

"Professor Havelock,"Scorpius sighed, sounding like he'd said it several times.

"Don't you know her?"Harry asked, surprised. "She was in your year."

Astoria shrugged. "There was a large intake of girls in Slytherin that year. I didn't know all of them."

James grabbed Emily's hand. "Come on, let's get a good carriage." They ran towards the train. Rose and Scorpius linked hands and followed them.

Martin, Albus, Lily and Hugo remained where they were. "So this is what it's going to be like from now on,"Martin sighed. Albus nodded sympathetically.

"Don't worry,"James called over his shoulder. "We won't ignore you all term. We've still got a mystery to solve."


	16. Chapter 16: On the Attack

**As ever, my most sincere thanks for all your comments, I really like knowing what you think. Please, anyone, feel free to leave a review!**

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CHAPTER SIXTEEN: On the Attack

James didn't really know what he was looking for. But that didn't stop him looking. He had rows of books spread out in front of him in the library, detailing various methods of transfiguration. But nothing he had looked at was helping him.

Emily was leaning against the table, looking bored. Since James had never seen her looking bored before, things must be bad. "I know being a girlfriend is new to me,"she commented,"but I wasn't expect it to involve watching you read."

James gave her an awkward smile. "Sorry. But I really want to find something." He sighed. "We could do with Rose here."

"She's probably off spending time with her _boyfriend_."

James considered this. "Is Scorpius really her boyfriend? Got to remember to wind her up about that some time. Tell her he's only dating her so she'll help him with his homework..." He stopped and clicked his fingers. "Man, I'm stupid."

"That's what people say. What made you realise it?"

"We don't need to know how it's being done. We need to know who's doing it. And why. That woman I saw!"

Emily struggled to follow this line of thought. "The blonde-haired one?"

"Yes! I mean, maybe. I saw her change, remember? Into an older woman, with dark hair. The bits that weren't grey, that is. So either one of them could be the real her."

"You want to find out who she is?"Emily ventured.

James nodded eagerly. "Let's see what we can find out about relatives of Death Eaters."

* * *

"Are we going to meet for lunch?"Hermione asked, as she and Harry paused by the door to his office.

"Not sure,"he answered. "I might work through. I'm determined to get to the bottom of this and there's something that's bugging me. I want to follow up on it."

"Well, let me know if you want me to spend my lunch hour during research with you again,"Hermione answered with a smile, giving him a quick kiss before heading off in the direction of her own office.

Harry went through the door and over to his desk. He touched his wand to a slot indented in it and the miniaturised head of one of the ministry clerks seemed to appear on his desk. "Yes, Mr. Potter?"she asked.

"Ministry records. Magical registration certificates. From around the turn of the century." Harry waited for the clerk's response, before realising she was waiting for him to ask a question. "Have you got them?"

"Of course, Mr. Potter. We don't lose track of such important information."

"Can you send them to me?"

"Which ones?"

"All of them. From a twenty year period."

The clerk seemed to lose her officious air slightly. Her answer took just a second longer to come. "That may take some time."

"Start in the middle and work outwards. Who knows, maybe I'll find what I'm looking for before you're finished."

* * *

Hermione had been at her desk for two hours, filling in court reports, when she heard the door open. "What is it?"she asked, without looking up.

"Just wanted to have a friendly chat with you, Mrs. Weasley,"came the answer.

Hermione's gaze shot up and she saw a blonde-haired woman in a red dress pointing a wand at her. "Who are you?" she demanded.

The woman looked at her with a sneer. "You're actually expecting an answer? And don't try any more of that wandless magic, I'm ready for it this time."

Hermione's eyes widened in realisation. "It's you! You're the one who attacked me disguised as Parvati! Why?"

"And you were always the clever one. You're lucky I'm not here to punish you this time, even though I really want to see you hurt. No, this time I just want something from you."

Hermione wondered if she could draw her wand without the woman noticing. "What?"

"_Stupefy_!"

Hermione had no time to react before the spell struck her. She was thrown backwards by it, hitting the floor and lying there in a heap. The blonde woman walked over to her, reached down…and pulled out one of Hermione's hairs. "I think this will do."

* * *

Hermione opened her eyes to find Ron and Parvati leaning over her. "Are you all right?"Ron asked. "Careful, you might have hurt yourself."

Hermione struggled to get up. "That woman! She was here. She hit me with a stunning spell."

"What woman?"Ron asked, confused.

"I don't know. She had blonde hair down to her shoulder, she looked about thirty, she was wearing a red dress…"

"The woman James saw?"

"Probably. She said she was the one who attacked me last year." Hermione looked awkwardly at Parvati. "Sorry for thinking it was you."

Parvati gave her an understanding smile. "It's okay. I actually felt like attacking you quite a lot when we were in school."

"But why attack you now?"Ron asked. "She's had all this time to try again. Was it like before?"

"No,"Hermione admitted,"she said she wanted something from me."

"She impersonated me last time she was here,"Parvati pointed out. "Maybe this time she's going to impersonate you."

"But why?"Hermione wondered. To look at some of the files I've got access to?"

Ron shook his head. "No, it's not that. It's something more basic. Think, Hermione. Who's the one person that she could get to if she looked like you, that no-one would think twice about you being close to?"

Hermione felt a sudden fear in her chest as she came to the same conclusion Ron had. "Harry."


	17. Chapter 17: Showing Your Hand

**My thanks once again for the review.**

* * *

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN:Showing Your Hand

Harry looked back and forth through the journal in front of him, containing the records he'd ordered. Every now and then, a new record would appear in it as the files were transferred up to him from the records department. But none of them was bringing him any closer to the answer he was sure was in there somewhere. It didn't help that he didn't know what he was looking for. Or rather he _did_ know what he was looking for but he wasn't expecting to find it.

"Are you busy, Harry?"a voice asked him.

Harry looked up to find Hermione standing in the doorway. She was leaning against the door frame in a rather seductive pose that he'd never seen her adopt before. She was also wearing a red dress that he didn't recognise. He wondered when she'd had a chance to change.

Harry leaned back in his chair, putting the journal to one side. "I don't think I'm going to make lunch, I'm afraid. I really think I'm on to something here."

"Oh?" Hermione sauntered over and sat down on his desk. "Anything I should know?"

"It's not really clear yet, I'll let you know when I've sorted it all out."

"Okay." Hermione ran her fingers through his hair. The experience was enjoyable at first but then he felt a sharp pain that caused him to cry out. "Sorry,"Hermione said, not sounding particularly sorry.

"That's all right,"Harry said patiently.

Hermione leaned forward as if to kiss him, then stopped just before their lips touched and smiled teasingly. "Catch you later." She skipped out of the office.

Harry looked after her. There was no doubt she'd been behaving rather odd. And he was sure that she… Harry dismissed the idea and returned his attention to the journal. After all, why would Hermione pull out one of his hairs?

* * *

It was a quarter of an hour later that Hermione appeared in Harry's doorway again. He noticed that she seemed to have changed back into the clothes she was wearing when they first arrived that morning and that Ron and Parvati were with her. Most extraordinarily of all, all of them were breathing heavily, as if they'd been running.

"Harry,"she gasped. "Have you seen someone that looks like me?"

Harry stared at her. "Is this a joke?"

"No, I mean someone who looks _exactly_ like me." Hermione bit her lip. "You might not have known…"

"We just found Hermione unconscious in her office,"Parvati interjected. "Someone attacked her, the same woman that impersonated me. We think she might be impersonating Hermione now."

Harry suddenly began to get a sinking feeling. He looked at Hermione. "You didn't come here a few minutes ago wearing a red dress?"

Hermione gasped. "She was here! Harry, she didn't hurt you…"

"No, she…" Harry stopped, remembering something. "She took one of my hairs,"he said quietly. There was a moment of silence, as they all realised the significance of what he'd just said. "It's polyjuice potion. That's what they've been using all along."

"You think she looks like you now?"Ron asked.

Harry touched his wand to his desk, summoning the image of the clerk. "Have I been seen outside this office at any time in the last half an hour?"

"Wait a moment, Mr. Potter, I'll check for you." There was a moment's pause. "Yes, you went in to see the minister ten minutes ago."

"Kingsley's office,"Harry murmured. "Come on!" He rushed out.

"Oh great,"Ron sighed. "More running."

* * *

The four of them burst into Kingsley's office, the minister's personal assistant Clara Langley following them in. "I tell you the minister has left the office,"she protested. "Just a few minutes ago."

"What about me?"Harry asked. "Did I leave?"

"Well… I didn't see you…"

Parvati suddenly fixed her eyes on a large cupboard in the corner of the room. She threw open the door… and inside was Kingsley, bound and gagged. She removed the gag. "Well, thanks heavens for that,"he remarked, as Hermione and Parvati began untying him. He fixed his gaze on Harry. "Harry, what is the meaning of this?"

"That's what we're trying to find out, minister,"Harry answered.

"Why did you hit me with a Stunning Spell?"

Harry stopped, a cold feeling gripping him not for the first time that day. "Guess who,"Ron muttered.

"That wasn't me, Kingsley,"Harry explained. "It was the shapeshifter. She used polyjuice potion to impersonate me."

"She?"Kingsley repeated.

Harry remembered the near-kiss. "Well, I hope so."

"But why would she knock Kingsley out and leave him in a cupboard?"Hermione asked.

Parvati looked at Clara. "Has the minister issued any orders since the person that looked like Harry came in here?"

"Well, yes, the release notice."

"The what?"Ron asked.

"Ministerial pardon for a group of prisoners from Azkaban. Orders that they be released at once." Clara held up a piece of parchment.

Harry snatched it from her and ran his eye over the list. "Lucius Malfoy, Narcissa Malfoy, Draco Malfoy, Yaxley, Rookwood, Rowle, MacLaggen, Flint, Edgecombe, Vane, Davies, Derrick, Bole…"

"Every single Death Eater we captured at Riddle Mansion,"Ron realised.

"They're being released from Azkaban right now?"Hermione asked, aghast.

"I need to speak with them,"Kingsley decided.

"It might be too late for that,"Harry decided. "Kingsley, I need you to get in touch with Grimmauld Place. Send as many of the Order as possible to join us." He turned to his friends. "We're going to Azkaban."

* * *

Neville, Ernie and Slughorn hurried down a flight of steps to the courtyard. "You'll let me know if there's anything I can do to help you all?"Slughorn asked.

"Yeah, of course,"Neville agreed.

"But we need to get there quickly,"Ernie added.

"What? Oh, yes." Slughorn waved his wand in a very precise sequence of moves. "I've lifted the apparation restriction on this courtyard. I'll restore it as soon as you've gone, so if you need to get back quickly you'll have to go via Hogmeade."

"Thanks, Professor,"Neville answered. "Let's go." He and Ernie drew their wands and apparated.

Just as they vanished, James and Emily came running into the courtyard. "Dad!"Emily called.

"Professor Longbottom!"James echoed.

Slughorn smiled at them in what he probably intended to be a reassuring manner. "I'm afraid Professor Longbottom and Professor Macmillan have to run an urgent errand. Is something the matter?"

James hesitated, then nodded. "You need to get on to the Order or the ministry or someone. We've found something out."

"We had to look through a lot of books to find it,"Emily added. "We should have thought of looking there sooner."

Slughorn was confused. "What have you found?"

James produced a book, opened at a specific page, from behind his back. Slughorn recognised it as an old Hogwarts yearbook. The page showed photographs of several students.

James pointed to one of the pictures. "Her."


	18. Chapter 18: Escape from Azkaban

**My thanks as ever for any reviews received for either this or the original story. Apologies for the gaps between updates, hopefully you won't mind the wait after this one...**

* * *

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: Escape from Azkaban

The chief warden had been somewhat bemused when his orders came in but still, they were his orders. He carefully opened the box that had been placed securely among the prisoners' belongings and handed the wand within to its owner. "Thought it would be a long time before I gave this back to you, Mr. Malfoy."

Lucius Malfoy stroked the wand affectionately. "Sometimes fortune chooses to smile upon us." He looked around at the rest of his party, confirming they had all been handed their wands. "Now if you would just show us the way out?"

Before anyone could respond to his request, there was the crack of multiple apparations as a large group of Order of the Phoenix members suddenly appeared in front of them: Harry, Hermione, Ron, Parvati, Neville, Luna, Ernie, Seamus, Hannah, Padma, Cho, Michael, Teddy, Victoire and Gabrielle.

"It's Potter!"Lucius shouted. "Scatter!"

The Death Eaters fled in different directions, all except for Cormac MacLaggen, who had apparently decided that standing and fighting was his best bet. He raised his wand but before he had a chance to utter a single spell, he was hit by multiple Stunning Charms and clattered to the ground.

"I'll find Marietta,"Cho declared, running off in the direction her former friend had taken.

"Cho, wait!"Harry called but she ignored the shout. Harry turned to the bewildered chief warden. "Have you lifted the wards stopping them apparating out of here yet?"

"Well, no, Mr. Potter…"

Harry turned to the rest of his party. "They'll need to get away the castle before they can apparate. We can still stop them."

Ron nodded. "We'll get after the Malfoys,"he decided, gesturing for Neville and Luna to follow him.

Hermione turned to Parvati and Padma, indicating the direction that some of the Death Eaters had fled. "Should we go this way?"

Parvati smiled. "I think that would be a good idea."

Seamus nodded to Hannah and Michael. "Let's find Flint,"he told them, clearly remembering how Flint had killed Dean Thomas at Riddle Mansion.

"I want to find Roger,"Victoire added, recalling her mother's murder. Teddy and Gabrielle nodded in agreement.

The groups dispersed until only Harry and Ernie were left. "Cho's still on her own,"Harry realised and the two of them hurried after her.

* * *

Hermione led Parvati and Padma down a corridor that she knew led to one of the prison's exits. Ahead of them, she could see three figures – Augustus Rookwood, Thorfinn Rowle and Yaxley – desperately rushing for freedom. "_Impedimenta_!"Hermione shouted but the range was too far away for an accurate jinxing and the spell exploded harmlessly over the three Death Eaters' heads.

The trio of escapees had their own wands out and began flinging curses at their pursuers. But they had the disadvantage in that they were reduced to aiming their wands blindly behind them and none of the spells went anywhere near a target.

"Cover us,"Rookwood snapped at Rowle.

Rowle was momentarily thrown by the order but automatically turned to face the oncoming trio. "_Excrucio_!"he snapped, hurling a curse at Hermione that she only just managed to block with a Shield Charm.

"_Stupefy_!"Parvati retaliated. His attention elsewhere, Rowle was struck full on by the curse and blasted to the ground, unconscious.

And behind him, Rookwood and Yaxley, paying no heed to their compatriot's fate, made it to the exit and apparated.

* * *

Victoire had a sudden feeling of déjà vu as she ran after Roger Davies, remembering her pursuit of him at Riddle Mansion, shortly after she'd seen him kill her mother. "_Locomotor wibbly_!"she cast, remembering how the spell had stopped him before.

Roger turned as the spell shot past him, saw her and raised his wand. "_Excrucio_!"he roared and Victoire felt the explosion of pain in her chest as the Stinging Hex hit home. Seconds later, he hit her with an Impediment Jinx that knocked her back into a wall, rendering her unconscious.

Teddy was only a second behind his wife but Roger was ready. "_Incarcerous_!"he snapped and Teddy joined Victoire on the floor, bound too tight to be of help.

Roger loosed off a spell at his third opponent but it was Gabrielle's turn to be ready and she managed to block it. The two of them faced each other. Roger saw the resolve in her eyes and licked his lips, suddenly nervous. He remembered the young girl he'd met that night with Fleur, twenty years earlier. How much she'd loved her sister.

"I just want to get out of here,"he attempted. "Just let me go this way and I promise you I won't hurt anyone…"

"_Confringo_!"Gabrielle responded and Roger only just managed to get his wand up in order to deflect the curse. "_Crucio_!"he retorted and she leapt out of the way of the blast. "_Avada Kedavra_!"he followed, his anger getting the better of him. Gabrielle dived under the curse, her wand pointing upwards underneath his guard. "_Stupefy_!"she snapped.

Roger had a stunned expression on his face for a moment, then he fell.

Gabrielle gave a slight smile. She had a feeling Fleur would have approved.

* * *

Seamus' eyes were fixed on Marcus Flint as he, Hannah and Michael chased after the hulking Death Eater. Flint's old cronies, Peregrine Derrick and Lucian Bole, were with him but Seamus only had his eyes on the main prize. He knew from a quick study of the layout of Azkaban that the corridor they were taking led to a cliff edge. Normally it was used for controlled exercise of the prisoners but if they were armed with wands…

Seamus could feel his frustration building. "FLINT!"he bellowed. "FLINT!"

Flint turned and saw the pursuit. He grabbed Derrick and Bole and turned them round to face their pursuers. "What are you waiting for? Stop them!"

As Flint ran on, the pair raised their wands in confusion and Hannah and Michael instantly hit them with Stunning Spells. Seamus ignored the brief duel, not once breaking step, continuing past the two unconscious Death Eaters and into the open air. He saw Flint leap off the cliff edge… and then apparate in midair, the moment he was clear of Azkaban's wards.

Seamus gave a roar of frustration.

* * *

Cho didn't quite know what she was doing, chasing her old friend. It had felt natural at the time but she was increasingly aware she didn't actually have a plan. The chase brought them out into a large room. "Marietta!"she called. Marietta turned, wand raised, a murderous look in her eyes. The look brought Cho up short. She'd thought she could reason with her but in that moment she knew this wasn't the girl she'd been best friends with all those years ago. "Marietta…it's me…"she stammered.

Marietta hesitated, the hatred fading slightly. Then she seemed to resolve herself. "_Sectumsempra_!"

Cho's body exploded in pain at the curse, blasting her onto her back. And then Harry and Ernie arrived. Harry knelt by Cho, checking her. The bleeding didn't seem too bad but she needed treatment. Marietta aimed her wand at him.

"Marietta!"Ernie called. "Remember me?"

Marietta turned on him and, whatever old loyalties had caused her to pull her punches against Cho, she no longer felt bound by them. "_Avada Kedavra_!"

"_Protego_!"

Harry's eyes widened in shock at his friend's tactic, as Ernie didn't even bothering to dodge the curse. There was no way a Shield Charm could block the Avada Kedavra. Ernie was as good as dead.

And yet somehow, the curse rebounded off the shield towards its caster. Marietta took the full force of the curse and slumped to the ground.

Harry looked at Ernie in astonishment. "How..?"

"I remembered what you said to Voldemort,"Ernie explained. "You were willing to sacrifice yourself to save us all so his curses couldn't hurt us. Well, at Riddle Mansion, Susan took a Killing Curse from Marietta that was meant for me. She saved my life. I thought maybe that would give me extra protection."

Harry breathed a sigh of relief. "What would you have done if it hadn't worked?"

Ernie considered the question. "I didn't really think about it."

* * *

Ron led Neville and Luna as they chased the three Malfoys. Ron saw that Romilda had joined the Malfoys, probably thinking that being with the group's ringleaders would offer some protection. He was aware that their quarry was only a few yards from safety. "You think you can get away, Malfoy?"he called, hoping to provoke a reaction.

The group stopped and turned to face their pursuers. Lucius gave him a withering look. "Why are there always Weasleys in the way when you're trying to get something done?"

"And why do they think Longbottom's any good as a wingman?"Draco asked nastily.

"It's really not a good idea to insult my husband,"Luna remarked calmly, her tone as mild as it always was. "It'll only make me more angry."

Lucius, Draco and Romilda levelled their wands and began flinging spells at the trio of Order members, who responded with a series of parries and counterspells. Behind them, Narcissa drew her own wand. "_Aguamenti_!"she snapped, aiming her wand at a spot between the two lines of opponents and producing a large curtain of water. "_Glacio_!"she continued and the water became ice, forming a wall between them.

"No!"Ron shouted in horror. He aimed his wand at the ice wall. "_Incendio_!" The ice melted away in seconds but it had delayed them long enough. Their four opponents were gone.

* * *

Harry was struggling to contain his fury. Marietta, the only fatality of the battle, was in the prison morgue, the recaptured Death Eaters were back in their cells. Cho and Victoire were both in the hospital wing, expected to make full recoveries from their injuries. Yet things had not gone as planned. "How many got away?"he asked.

"Seven,"Ron told him. "The three Malfoys, Rookwood, Yaxley, Flint and Vane."

"That's not much of an army,"Neville offered, in an attempt to raise their spirits.

"None of them should have got out,"Seamus snapped.

"He's right,"Harry said quietly. "None of this should have happened. Someone made this happen. The person we've been tracking all along."

"What do you mean?"Hermione asked.

"Don't you see? We've got it all wrong. We thought there was a group of shapeshifters out there but it's just one person, using polyjuice person to disguise themselves. One person who did all this. We need to find them and I know just where to start looking." Harry turned to his friends, suddenly all businesslike. "Ron, I need you, Neville and Ernie to go back to Hogwarts. Make sure no-one enters or leaves. Hermione, Luna, we're going to the Ministry. There's something I need to check. Parvati… you and the others stay here and make sure no-one else gets out."


	19. Chapter 19: Attack on Hogwarts

**Thanks as ever to anyone who's commented on this fic, or who's favourited or following it.**

* * *

CHAPTER NINETEEN:Attack on Hogwarts

Harry pushed open the door to the office without knocking and pointed his wand at the occupant. "Don't try anything, Professor Havelock."

Melinda looked at him from behind her desk, her face a picture of innocence. "Of course not, Mr. Potter. May I ask what this is about?"

"You were very good, Professor,"Harry answered. "Full magical qualification certificates, references. I imagine you used the odd Confundus Charm to stop people looking too closely. But if you follow the paper trail far enough, you'll see there are things missing. The fact that no-one remembers you being at Hogwarts, that you're not mentioned in any of the yearbooks, that there's no employment record for you until you started here. Which leads me to one conclusion: There's no such person as Melinda Havelock. So who are you?" He let the question hang in the air for a moment before casting the spell. "_Revealo_."

As Harry watched, Melinda changed. Her features stretched and rearranged themselves as the spell cancelled out the polyjuice potion. When they had finished, a slightly older woman, her dark hair streaked with grey, was sitting there, scowling at him.

Harry nodded at the confirmation. "Pansy Parkinson."

She gave him a strained smile. "Potter."

"So, who was Melinda Havelock, then? I mean, the person whose form you used."

Pansy opened up a drawer. Harry gestured pointedly with the wand but all she removed was a plastic bag full of dark hairs. "I found out something about Muggles. They can't use magic to change their hair so they cut it. I found a woman who looked right for the Melinda disguise and all it took was a simple charm to convince her to hire me as her personal hairdresser. She gave me a ready supply of her hair. Even let me come back every few months to take some more." She took out a second bag full of blonde hairs. "I chose a second form for me to move about where appearing as Melinda would be suspicious."

"James saw you change back into your real form,"Harry recalled. "But he'd never seen the real you, so he didn't know who you were. Until today, when he found your picture in an old yearbook. Throw in the fact that you visited Draco Malfoy in Azkaban more than anyone and it wasn't hard to realise who you were."

Pansy gave a mocking smile. "Well done."

"I get that you wanted Draco out of Azkaban and his family probably insisted you free the rest of them as well. But why come to Hogwarts, why pose as Professor Havelock?"

"Draco wanted me to keep an eye on Scorpius. I made a mistake at first, tried to keep that Weasley girl away from him. Didn't think Scorpius would confront the girl I was posing as, nearly gave myself away."

"And I take it you disguised yourself as Parvati and Neville as well?"

"Wanted to see if I could pull it off. Of course, it was fun giving that Mudblood Grainger or Weasley – or is she calling herself Potter now? – what she deserved."

"It's still Weasley,"Harry answered. "And what do you mean, what she deserved?"

"It's her fault Draco was in Azkaban in the first place,"Pansy answered.

It took Harry a second to follow the line of reasoning. "He was in Azkaban because he used the Cruciatus Curse on Hermione while trying to stop me saving James,"he pointed out carefully.

Pansy nodded, apparently not detecting his sarcasm. "That's right."

Before Harry could answer, Hermione and Luna came rushing in. "Harry, the Malfoys!"Hermione gasped. "They're coming here, they're going to attack Hogwarts!"

"What?" Harry was astonished. "Why?"

"I think they're after the slashkilter that Professor Slughorn keeps in the dungeon in case of emergencies,"Luna opined sincerely.

"Did you not hear what I said?"Pansy asked. "Draco sent me here to keep an eye on Scorpius. Do you think he'd leave without him?"

Harry's eyes widened in shock. "Watch her,"he told the two women and hurried out.

* * *

Ron, Neville, Ernie, Seamus and Hagrid stood in the courtyard. Ron could see three figures approaching on broomsticks. Although they were too far away to make out, every now and then one of them would fire off a Blasting Charm that caused part of the stonework to explode.

"This place stood up against Voldemort's army once,"Ron complained.

"They kind of caught us by surprise,"Neville admitted. "Didn't have time to put any protective wards up."

"Like old times this, eh, Ronald?"Hagrid remarked. "Standing shoulder to shoulder." He waved his umbrella wand about: Even though Kingsley had long ago used his wrongful expulsion as a special circumstance to grant him permission to carry a wand, he still preferred the incognito one.

Before Ron could answer, James, Albus, Martin and Emily entered the courtyard, wands drawn. "What are you doing here?"Ernie demanded. "Professor Slughorn ordered all students confined to their common rooms."

"We want to help,"James insisted.

"Where's Rose?"Ron asked.

"We couldn't find Scorpius,"Emily explained. "She went to look for him."

"I'm surprised you didn't bring Lily and Hugo with you,"Seamus commented.

"They wanted to come,"Albus answered. "We made them stay behind."

"Look, you can't stay here,"Neville protested. "You're too young."

"You were mine and James' age when you fought the Death Eaters at the Ministry,"Martin pointed out. "And Mum was Albus and Emily's age."

"Yeah. And that went really well."

"Too late to send them away now,"Seamus remarked, looking up, as the others heard a whooshing noise overhead. "Here they come."

* * *

Scorpius and Rose held onto each other's hand as they ran through the corridors, the sounds of battle echoing towards them. "Do you think we should help?"Scorpius asked.

Rose shook her head. "We need to get you somewhere safe."

"Scorpius!"a voice called and Draco stepped out of the shadows. "It's time to go."

"Dad?"Scorpius asked in astonishment.

"Mr. Malfoy?"Rose echoed. "How did you get in here?"

"It's not just your family who know the secret ways into Hogwarts,"Draco answered. He pointed his wand at Rose. "Sorry about this."

"No!" Scorpius stepped between them. "Don't hurt her." Draco hesitated for a moment then lowered his wand. Scorpius turned back to Rose and took her hands. "Rose, just run. I'll be all right."

Rose wanted to argue but something in Scorpius' expression told her she shouldn't. She ran. She looked back over her shoulder and saw Draco put an arm around Scorpius' shoulder and lead him away. She ran on, tears stinging her eyes, until she ran straight into someone. She gave a gasp of shock, then she realised who it was. Harry.

"Uncle Harry,"she gasped. "Scorpius' dad, he's taking him away!"

Harry nodded. "All right. Find your dad and Professor Longbottom and tell them what's going on." He ran in the direction she had come from, while Rose ran on.

* * *

Ron and the others were exchanging spells with the three figures swooping above them: Lucius, Narcissa and Romilda. Ron was confused by the identity of the attackers. He could understand Rookwood, Yaxley and Flint not wanting to be part of whatever the Malfoys were doing but where was Draco?

"Disarming spells only,"he said quietly. He didn't want to risk a Stunning Spell on an airborne opponent, when he couldn't guarantee being able to levitate them to the ground afterwards. It was a tactic he was sure Harry would approve of… even though he wasn't entirely sure why that mattered to him.

"_Expelliarmus_! _Expelliarmus_!"Albus declared, firing off spells that served largely as a ward.

"_Levicorpus_!"Emily snapped as Romilda swooped too near her, managing to adjust her target's course slightly.

And then, suddenly, the three Death Eaters banked away from the battle, flying off into the sky. "What a rush!"Martin gasped.

"Why did they leave?"Neville wondered.

And that was when Rose came rushing into the courtyard. "Dad! Dad!"

* * *

Harry dashed down the corridor until he caught sight of Draco and Scorpius. He considered firing off a spell but he didn't want to risk hitting Scorpius, not even with a spell that wouldn't cause permanent damage. "Malfoy!"he shouted and Draco turned at the shout, his wand up, just as Harry's was. "Draco, let Scorpius go,"Harry insisted, trying to sound calm and reassuring.

"He belongs with me!"Draco snapped.

"You're going to have every Auror in the country after you,"Harry replied. "That's no life for him."

"Well, what's the alternative? Let you bring him up?"

"He belongs with his mother,"Harry insisted. "She'll bring him up in that closed pureblood world you're so fond of."

Harry could see his words weren't getting through. "I'm taking him with me and you can't stop me!" Draco insisted.

For a moment, Harry thought he'd have to use a spell after all. Then it hit him, just how familiar this was. "Dumbledore gave you a choice!"he shouted. "He said you didn't have to be part of that world, that we'd look after you. Don't you just wish you'd taken him up on it?"

Draco's resolve seemed to fade at that. He turned to Scorpius. "Go."

Scorpius ran to Harry. Harry didn't take his eyes off Draco, even though he addressed the boy. "Scorpius, go to the courtyard. Rose's dad is there, he'll look after you."

Scorpius ran off. And then it was just the two of them.

Draco licked his lips nervously, realising what was going to happen now. "I didn't have anything to do with what happened to Ginny, Harry. I hadn't even joined up with them then."

"I know,"Harry agreed. "You're no killer, Draco. But last time we met, you tortured Hermione. And you enjoyed it. So if you think I'm just going to…"

"_Sectumsempra_!"

Draco fired off the curse before Harry had even finished talking and he only just managed to block it. "_Stupefy_!"he returned.

"_Crucio_!"

"_Impedimenta_!"

Harry and Draco danced about the corridor, casting, dodging and blocking spells, neither of them able to find an opening. Harry wondered if either of them would ever hit a target…

"_Incarcerous_!"

Harry hadn't even known there was anyone else in the corridor until the spell hit him in the back. Suddenly, he was securely bound, causing him to overbalance and crash to the floor. He looked round…and saw Pansy standing there. He gazed at her in astonishment and then remembered where he'd left her. "Hermione and Luna…"

Pansy sneered at him. "Don't worry, Potter. I didn't damage anything you might need later. Just hit them both with a Stunning Spell. I had my wand hidden under my desk." She stepped over Harry, went over to Draco and kissed him lightly on the lips. For a split second, Harry thought he saw a look of distaste in Draco's expression. "Where's Scorpius?"she asked.

"He's staying here,"Draco answered, taking her hand before she could argue. "Let's get out of here."

Harry struggled against his bonds but it was no use. All he could do was watch them go.


	20. Chapter 20: Gains and Losses

CHAPTER TWENTY:Gains and Losses

Harry hadn't had to lie in the corridor for more than a few minutes before Ron and Neville found and freed him. But it was enough time for Draco and Pansy to get well clear. They'd gone to check on Hermione and Luna, finding them slightly bruised and even more embarrassed but basically unharmed.

Harry and Hermione sat with Rose and Scorpius in what was usually the office of the Head of Slytherin. Slughorn had taken on the role himself until a replacement for Melinda, or rather Pansy, could be found, so for the moment it was vacant. They explained to the two teenagers everything that had happened in the last year and how it had led to the breakout from Azkaban.

"What'll happen with my dad now?"Scorpius asked.

"The Auror Department will issue a full alert for him, your grandparents and the other escapees,"Harry replied. "But a lot of Voldemort's followers went to ground after his fall. If they don't draw attention to themselves, they may well escape capture."

"Do you wish you'd gone with them?"Rose asked.

Scorpius took her hand and smiled. "No,"he replied but he turned his attention back to Harry. "Mr. Potter, can I ask you something?"

"Of course, Scorpius."

"Professor Havelock or whoever she was… Do you think my dad loves her?"

Harry thought for a moment. "No,"he said at last. "But I think she loves him. I think that's why she did all this. And she's got him now." He gave a slight smile. "Stuck with Pansy Parkinson. He may well end up wishing he was back in Azkaban."

Scorpius didn't smile back. "I'd better get back to class,"he decided.

"I'll catch up with you!"Rose called after him. She waited until Scorpius had gone before turning back to Harry and Hermione. "Can I ask your about something?"

"Of course,"Hermione answered. "What is it?"

"Do you think Scorpius' parents loved each other? It's just, hearing the way his mother talks about his father… It's hard to imagine."

"I think they did up to a point,"Harry replied. "You can't really be with someone that long without loving them a bit. The problem with these pureblood families who only marry each other is they haven't really got a lot of people to choose from."

Rose considered this. "I think people should be allowed to marry the person they love,"she decided. Harry wasn't sure if he'd imagined it, but he thought he saw her gaze flick from him to Hermione, just for a second.

"Like you and Scorpius?"Hermione asked teasingly.

Rose blushed slightly but otherwise her expression betrayed nothing. "Yeah, right. Can you imagine how Dad would react if that happened?"

"He'd rant and rave and say it was the worst day in the family's history,"Harry agreed. "And then he'd go to the wedding and be as proud of you as any father has ever been."

To his surprise, Rose threw her arms around him and hugged him. "Thanks for bringing him back,"she said quietly. Then she hugged a stunned Hermione as well. "I love you, Mum,"she added before rushing out.

Harry and Hermione stood and smiled at each other for a moment. Then Hermione's expression became worried. "Do you think we really have seen the last of the Malfoys and the others?"

"I almost hope we have,"Harry replied. "But I can't help feeling they're going to resurface, sooner or later."

* * *

It was the first weekend of the summer holidays and the sun was shining. Harry looked around the makeshift dressing room at the rest of the team, all of them holding their brooms at the ready. "It's only five-a-side so no Bludgers,"he told them. "That means Hermione's in goal, Albus can be Seeker and James, Lily and I are the Chasers. Okay?" They all nodded in agreement. "Go, Team Potter!"

The five of them mounted their brooms, ran out of the dressing room and flew up to the pitch where Team Weasley was waiting: Ron, Parvati, Rose, Hugo and Scorpius, the latter spending the first part of his holidays with Rose as a return for her visit at Easter.

Harry and Ron both aimed their wands at the box on the ground and it sprang open, releasing the quaffle and the snitch. While Albus and Hugo, the other Seeker, both made dives for the latter, Harry flew for the quaffle and managed to catch it, throwing it to Lily. She threw it back to him as he zipped past Scorpius and Parvati and threw it to James. He received the return pass and hurled the ball at the goal but Ron, acting as goalkeeper, caught it easily and threw it to Rose. She looked for a moment as though she wasn't sure what to do with it.

"Over here, Rose!"Parvati called. Rose threw the ball. James dived to intercept but only managed to get the barest of touches to the ball that knocked it into the path of Scorpius, who shot towards goal.

Harry almost closed his eyes. Scorpius was one of the most experienced players on the pitch, Hermione one of the least. She didn't stand a chance.

Scorpius threw the ball. Hermione took a deep breath, shot up in the right direction…and the ball thudded into her chest. Almost on instinct, she wrapped her arms around it and caught it. James, Albus and Lily went wild. They shot over to Hermione and hugged her. Then, to Harry's astonishment and delight, Rose and Hugo gave a cheer just as loud as his own children and flew to congratulate their mother, the game forgotten, until she disappeared beneath the people trying to hug her.

Parvati slipped an arm round Ron's shoulder and they smiled at each other. Harry looked at Scorpius and they smiled too, glad to see the people they loved enjoying themselves.

Whatever would come, would come. Harry had learnt that a long time ago. But for the moment, this makeshift family that he'd managed to acquire were all happy.

* * *

**My thanks to everyone who's followed and supported this fiction. All comments on the conclusion and the fiction as a whole welcome.**


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